Senator Sando Johnson Wants Forensic Audit of NOCAL

Monrovia – Bomi County Senator, Sando Johnson has called for a forensic audit of the entire transactions of the National oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) since its inception in 2000.

Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh/[email protected]

In a communication addressed to the plenary of the Senate on Tuesday, January 23, Senator Johnson reminded the august body that on August 17, 2015, the Senate joint Committees on Lands, Mines, energy,  Natural Resources and Environment, Public Corporations and Ways, Means, Finance and Budget submitted a report recommending measures for then President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to implement to ensure that those responsible for the collapse of NOCAL be brought to justice; something he said did not happen.

“It can be recalled that the then President Johnson Sirleaf told the Liberian people that she took full responsibility for the unscrupulous management of NOCAL by her son Robert Sirleaf and Dr. McClain, but she did not spare justice when she ordered prosecution for Albert Bropleh, Matilda Parker, Senator Varney Sherman, former Speaker Alex Tyler and others for alleged transgression,” Senator Johnson noted.

“In view of the aforementioned, I pray that the Honorable Liberian Senate resume investigation of the NOCAL report by recommending a conduct of a forensic audit of the entire transactions of that entity since its inception.

The Liberian people have to be accounted to by the NOCAL management so as to acquire a clear picture of how our oil money was spent,” he urged.

But former NOCAL Chief Executive, Robert Sirleaf, in a communication to FrontPage Africa said he welcome “all audits of NOCAL, with special attention paid to my time served. I support these audits 100 percent conducted by reputable firms, whether they are local and/or international.”  

In 2015, then President came under barrage of criticisms when she called for the payment of severance to outgoing board members and officials of NOCAL after she took responsibility for the mismanagement of company.

The Liberian Senate on September 8, 2015 unanimously voted to order the then President to halt any payment of severance to the outgoing board members and officials of NOCAL.

The Senate’s decision was based on several recommendations from the joint committees, which among other things called for the reduction of several key positions including those of five Vice Presidents and many top managers; to be replaced by engineers and geologists as a means of reducing exorbitant cost.

Also suggested in the joint committees’ report entitled, “Report on the State of Affairs at the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), was the need for drastic cuts in what they termed as the administrative and other overheads of the incoming skeleton management team.

Most of the senators, in separate remarks, disagreed, suggesting that no dime should be released until a forensic audit is conducted by the General Auditing Commission to establish the cause of the company’s bankruptcy.