Monrovia – Liberia’s Solicitor General, Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus, has announced government’s preparedness to arrest and prosecute Mr. Robert Neal, Deputy Director General for Audit at the Internal Audit Agency.
Cllr. Cephus stressed that Mr. Neal will be prosecuted if he fails to submit to police investigation at the close of Friday, March 27.
Neal risks prosecution for criminal malevolence if he fails to turn himself in for police investigation into claims of corruption and abuse of public resources which he earlier made against the Internal Audit Agency and its Director General, Hon. Emmanuel B. Nyeswa, the Solicitor General said at a press conference.
It can be recalled that the IAA’s Deputy Director General for Audit was consistently using the traditional and social media to leveled allegations against Mr. Nyeswa.
The allegations ranged from payroll paddling, non-compliance of PPCC regulations, and conflict of interest, among others.
But speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, March 25, in Monrovia, Liberia’s Solicitor General informed the public that since Mr. Neal complained to his office about a month ago, he [Neal] has reneged on availing himself for police investigation; something which Cllr. Cephus described as unfortunate.
Cllr. Cephus told reporters that as a result of Neal’s refusal to comply with the investigation, he was constrained to issue an ultimatum to him, which expires on Friday of this week, for the complainant to submit to investigation.
He explained that prosecution begins with police investigation; as such, when one alleges that a crime has been or is being committed; such person is under legal obligation to cooperate with the police in order to gather the needed evidence that will inform an indictment.
However, Cllr. Cephus indicated that Mr. Neal, instead of providing the pieces of evidence to enable the state proceed with prosecution, Deputy Director General for Audit at the Internal Audit Agency has chosen to avoid the police, which further undermines the entire investigation.
He further cautioned the IAA’s Deputy for Audit to “do the honorable thing by submitting to the police to support his claims with the necessary evidence”, stressing that “free lies will not be misconstrued for free speech under the presidency of Dr. George M. Weah”.