MONROVIA – The disappearance of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) staff is raising eyebrows, however, fresh information received by FrontPageAfrica from sources within, suggest the possibility that Mr. Saryon Moore, could be in hiding to evade possible prosecution for alleged extortion from a taxpayer and wrongful foreclosure of a business.
FrontPageAfrica gathered that prior to his disappearance, Mr. Moore and his cohorts were facing an investigation by the Professional Ethics Department (PED) of the Liberia Revenue Authority after a complaint of extortion and unauthorized foreclosure from a taxpayer.
“He along with others were accused of extortion and instituting foreclosure without their supervisors’ consent. To prevent him from having access to sensitive documents that could be needed for the investigation that the Professional Ethics Department may need, he was suspended and subject to investigation,” a source familiar with the development informed FrontPageAfrica.
The source said, Mr. Moore went to work on the day he was to receive his suspension letter but he refused to pick up the letter, rather left the office and did not return home as reported.
However, the investigation went on.
According to the source, while the Professional Ethics Department could not establish extortion, they established that Mr. Moore and his accomplices had surreptitiously foreclosed the business.
“Whether or not he took the money, that is something that is yet to be established. Whether he is hiding because of certain things that he thinks may come up because of the investigation is another thing that is also yet to be established,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the LRA declined to comment on the disappearance of Mr. Moore on grounds that it is collaborating with the police to investigate his disappearance and could not comment in the absence of a final report from the police.
When contacted, Police Spokesman, Col. Moses Carter, told FrontPageAfrica that the police have taken seize of the matter and carrying out an investigation.
Col. Carter said the Police have obtained Mr. Moore’s call logs and are conducting a study of the call log which they believe would help them find out his location or where he was last seen.
The 38-year-old Enforcement Compliance Officer was reported missing about a week ago.
Family sources had said he did not return home after he left the house to drop off “classified documents” at the home of one of his bosses (name not given) in Du Port Road community, Paynesville.
His relatives and friends who spoke to FrontPageAfrica over the weekend on the basis of anonymity said they do not want his disappearance to be politicized or accusing fingers pointed at anyone.
“Saryon Moore said he was carrying document to his boss at Duport Road but and we found out that none of his bosses live around the Duport Road. We don’t want to dwell on conspiracy theory or levy accusations. We just want to take it as a missing person case for now,” the friend stated.
The friend had also informed FrontPageAfrica that Mr. Moore was suspended from his office at the Real Estate Tax Division at the LRA twice for allegedly enforcing the closure of an unidentified private business without the acquiescence of his immediate boss.
His family and friends who spoke with FrontPageAfrica over the weekend, however, expressed optimism that he could be alive at an unidentified location.
“For now, the family members are not thinking that he is dead or he has been murdered. They are not yet conclusive; but if he is out there because he is not happy or he’s suffering from depression, or somebody is holding him against his will, they (family members) want him to be released and returned to his family normal. We are only praying that he returns.”