CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia – Bong County District #3 Representative Marvin Cole has fiercely rebutted allegations made by Civil Service Agency (CSA) Director-General Josiah Joekai, who accused former Speaker of the House, J. Fonati Koffa, of orchestrating a payroll fraud scheme that cost the government over US$1.5 million.
Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected], Emmanuel Weedee-Conway, [email protected]
Earlier this week, Joekai claimed that Speaker Koffa, prior to leaving office, submitted a revised payroll for the House’s central administration, requesting CSA approval for a new monthly wage bill of US$327,000—an increase of US$43,000 from the existing figure. When the CSA rejected the proposal, Joekai alleged, the then-House leadership went ahead and created a “supplementary payroll” to accommodate the new hires, which ballooned to a cumulative total of US$1.5 million. That payroll, he said, was later terminated by the CSA.
“Former Speaker Koffa wrote the CSA Director General and submitted a new payroll of the central administration of the House of Representatives. In that request, the former speaker asked me to approve the new payroll with dollar value of US$327,000, with a variance of US$43,000 monthly,” he said.
“Because we refused and rejected that payroll, the then leadership created a supplementary payroll to accommodate those people with a dollar value of US$1.5 million. The CSA went in and terminated that payroll. People who are calling for protest today, their names are on that supplementary payroll.”
Rep. Cole: ‘Baseless, Criminal, and Politically Motivated’
In response, Rep. Cole dismissed the allegations as “malicious, misleading, baseless, and criminal,” and accused the CSA boss of being a political pawn for the ruling Unity Party.
“Let me state for the record that Josiah Joekai’s claims against Speaker Koffa of defrauding the government of US$1.5 million are lies—malicious, misleading, baseless, and criminal,” Cole said.
Cole further accused Joekai of serving the interest of the executive rather than upholding the integrity of his office. “The CSA under Joekai has become a transit point for criminality,” he declared, warning the Director-General to tread carefully.
He challenged the CSA to publish all documents, including those from the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC), detailing how contracts and payroll adjustments were handled.
Cole defended former Speaker Koffa’s integrity, asserting that he had no role in illegal payroll padding or unauthorized employment, and that Joekai, “who clearly does not understand the scope of his duties,” was deliberately misrepresenting the facts.
Alleged Executive Interference
Rep. Cole suggested that the alleged payroll irregularities emerged during a recent leadership dispute within the House of Representatives, during which the Executive allegedly recognized a “purported” Speaker, Richard Nagbe Koon. He accused the Boakai administration of enabling illegal appointments through CSA directives during that period.
“Contrary to Joekai’s claims, the so-called illegal placements were politically motivated actions backed by the Executive during the House crisis,” Cole stated.
He went on to accuse the Unity Party-led government of lacking accountability and integrity, alleging rampant corruption throughout the Executive Branch.
“The Unity Party government’s time in office will come to an end. This government has no credibility to talk about accountability. There’s theft everywhere—written in capital letters. There are sophisticated criminals in this government,” Cole declared.
Rising Tensions Between Executive and Opposition
The controversy adds to growing political friction between the Boakai administration and opposition lawmakers. Recent weeks have seen heated debates over public sector appointments, payroll audits, and accusations of politically motivated terminations.
In April, Joekai warned civil servants of potential dismissals for behavior deemed disrespectful or politically subversive. Speaking at the Liberia Agricultural Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA), he emphasized discipline and threatened consequences for those who criticized the government, referencing the controversial dismissal of nine employees from the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) for alleged anti-government social media activity.
“We cannot have employees spreading lies, disinformation, and denigrating the image of this government,” Joekai said. “Such behavior is incompatible with public service.”
Critics have condemned Joekai’s stance as an attack on free speech and due process. He has faced backlash for urging the dismissal of civil servants accused of criticizing President Boakai, without public disclosure of names or evidence.
Koffa Camp Mulls Legal Action
As of now, neither former Speaker Koffa nor the current House leadership under Speaker Richard Koon has officially responded to Joekai’s allegations or Rep. Cole’s defense. However, close allies of Koffa have hinted at possible legal action against the CSA Director-General, accusing him of character assassination and defamation.
Meanwhile, public policy advocates and civil society groups are calling for an independent audit of the legislative payroll to clarify the facts and determine if any funds were misappropriated.
What’s Next?
With the Unity Party government under mounting pressure to demonstrate progress on governance, transparency, and economic recovery, political analysts caution that this standoff may deepen rifts between the Executive and Legislative branches.
“This is no longer just about a payroll dispute—it’s about political control, institutional credibility, and the reputations of powerful actors,” one legislative aide told FrontPage Africa on condition of anonymity.
As the back-and-forth intensifies, Liberians are left demanding answers, transparency, and accountability—values both the administration and opposition claim to cham