Monrovia – While allegations of corruption have placed suspended National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) Director-General Emma Metieh Glassco at the center of a high-profile investigation, documents reviewed by FrontPageAfrica, along with strict World Bank procedures, suggest a system governed by tight financial controls and minimal opportunities for fraud.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
Glassco, once regarded as a leading technocrat credited with revitalizing Liberia’s fisheries sector, is now being investigated by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) over the alleged management of a US$3.1 million World Bank-funded project under the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project (LSMFP). The funds were earmarked for the construction of NaFAA’s new headquarters on Bushrod Island, Monrovia.
LACC Launches Corruption Investigation
In a letter dated March 17, 2025, and signed by LACC Chairperson Cllr. Alexandra Zoe, Madam Glassco was informed that the Commission had initiated an investigation into allegations of financial impropriety, including suspected procurement fraud under her leadership.
She was summoned to appear before LACC investigators on March 19, accompanied by legal counsel and relevant procurement and financial documents related to the headquarters project.
The LACC’s inquiry centers on whether project funds were used in accordance with procurement laws and the guidelines outlined in the Project Implementation Manual (PIM) of the LSMFP.
However, FPA’s independent review of project documents and World Bank procedures paints a picture of an operation encircled by stringent oversight, suggesting limited room for mismanagement.
Procurement Controls Leave Little Room for Fraud
Documents show that NaFAA’s Project Implementation Unit (PIU) was required to develop and submit both an Annual Work Plan Budget (AWPB) and a detailed Procurement Plan (PP), which had to be reviewed and approved by the World Bank’s Task Team Leader (TTL).
Subsequently, these plans were endorsed by the National Project Steering Committee (NPSC), comprising representatives from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Ministry of Agriculture, NaFAA, and other stakeholders.
Final procurement actions were only permitted following the issuance of a formal “No Objection” by the World Bank — a safeguard that experts say serves as a critical anti-fraud mechanism.
“If you understand the layers of clearance involved, you’ll realize that funds from the World Bank are practically ring-fenced,” a senior official familiar with the process told FPA on condition of anonymity. “Without a ‘No Objection’ from the Bank, nothing moves.”
In addition, all payments for the headquarters project were processed through the Project Financial Management Unit (PFMU) at the Ministry of Finance — not directly by NaFAA.
Real-Time Monitoring Through STEP Platform
Further enhancing transparency, procurement activities — including the US$800,000 already spent on the project — were uploaded and monitored via the World Bank’s Systematic Tracking of Exchanges in Procurement (STEP) platform.
This real-time digital system enables the Bank’s oversight teams to monitor procurement actions as they happen.
At the time of publication, FPA gathered that no procurement activity related to the NaFAA headquarters had triggered any red flags or objections from the World Bank.
World Bank Responds to Inquiries
In response to detailed questions from FPA, the World Bank reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability.
“The World Bank takes seriously our obligation to ensure that Bank funds are used for clearly defined activities for the benefit of the people and communities we serve,” the Bank said.
“World Bank-funded projects are implemented by recipient Governments and are governed by policies and legal agreements meant to ensure that project funds are used for the purposes intended.”
However, the Bank declined to comment on the ongoing LACC investigation.
No Adverse Findings from GAC Audits
The General Auditing Commission (GAC), Liberia’s supreme audit institution, has conducted annual audits of the LSMFP since its inception in 2018 — including reviews of expenditures related to the NaFAA headquarters construction.
To date, no audit reports have flagged any concerns of mismanagement or fraud related to the project.
Notably, on September 12, 2022, the Ministry of Finance requested and received approval from the World Bank to restructure components of the LSMFP, which later facilitated the purchase of a project vehicle for NaFAA. This restructuring, like all project adjustments, followed the same rigorous oversight process.
Experts: Procedural Missteps Possible, But Fraud Unlikely
Development experts familiar with World Bank systems say while minor procedural lapses or documentation errors can occur, outright fraud would require collusion across multiple institutions — an unlikely scenario given the checks and balances in place.
“It is extremely difficult for someone to manipulate World Bank project funds without detection,” a Monrovia-based development consultant said. “Even if there were procedural missteps, that’s a far cry from procurement fraud.”
As the LACC investigation proceeds, questions remain over the basis of the allegations. While the outcome is yet to be determined, the emerging evidence points toward a project implemented under some of the most stringent anti-corruption safeguards in international development.