Monrovia – The old adage “one who preaches equity must come with clean hands” underscores the idea that those seeking fairness must themselves be fair and just. This principle is relevant to the governing Unity Party (UP), led by Joseph Boakai.
By Jaheim T. Tumu- [email protected]
In opposition, the UP was critical of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) administration, accusing the it of corruption and questionable contracts, such as the deals with Eton and EBOMAF. However, the Boakai-Koung administration appears to be following a similar path, as evidenced by the controversy surrounding the procurement of yellow machines. This raises questions about their commitment to the principles of fairness and transparency they once championed.
Concerns have also arisen regarding the procurement or donation of 20 Toyota Corolla vehicles for police operations. Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman, during a recent appearance on Spoon Talk, was asked about the vehicles. He clarified that the police had not received any vehicles they were supposed to purchase, but mentioned that an individual identified as ABK had donated the vehicles.
Coleman stated, “As far as I, Gregory Oliver Wendell Coleman, Inspector General of the Liberian National Police, know, this is a donation and it comes at zero cost to the Liberian government.” He added, “As a matter of fact, the donor just sent me the final payment for the vehicles. So, anybody else telling something different has new information. Maybe there is a different discussion behind the scenes that I am not aware of.”
The lack of transparency regarding the source of these vehicles is troubling. Questions remain about ABK’s identity and motives, the arrangement under which the vehicles were donated, and whether they are new or used. IG Coleman emphasized that the vehicles were provided free of charge and that any document suggesting otherwise would be new information to him, which he would investigate thoroughly.
“If you present a document that says the vehicles are not free, it will be news to me. And I will take your document, and I will follow through to find out the truth,” the Inspector General said.
