• Liberia Anti-Corruption Chairman Accused of Misapplying Employees’ Salaries, Source: FrontPage Africa
• President George Weah’s Jamaican Wife to Carry Liberian Passport, Source: FrontPage Africa

• AFL Retires Gen. Ziankahn … New Chief of Staff Says Challenges in Military will be Mitigated, Source: The INQUIRER
• Suspended Cllr. Gibson’s Lawyers: “Our Client Was Broke”, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• Judge Becomes Defendant in USD30K Truck ‘Disappearance’ Case, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• Police Officer Exhibits Professionalism … When He Came Under Attack, Source: The INQUIRER
• CNFA, Partners Break Ground for Rice Mill in Lofa, Source: Daily OBSERVER
• Altus Strategies discovers mining sites at Zolowo project in Liberia, Source: Mining Technology

Liberia Anti-Corruption Chairman Accused of Misapplying Employees’ Salaries, Source: FrontPage Africa

According to FrontPage Africa, Cllr. James Verdier, lead fighter of corruption in Liberia, stands accused by some former employees of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) of acts of corruption. At least five persons, who were once in the employ of the anti-graft commission have raised a red flag over “integrity issues and/or misapplication of salaries of employees.” Cllr. Verdier, the LACC executive chairperson has refuted the claims and urged the disenchanted former employees comprising the former chief of investigation, D. Blamo Koffa; former chief of operations, Roosevelt Doe; former internal auditor, Atty. Wonderr Freeman; former program manager in the Enforcement Division, Aaron Aboah, and former executive director, Daniel Tipayson.

The former LACC staffs in a complaint to the Senate Committee on Autonomous Commissions and Agencies said in 2013, they noticed that taxes were being deducted from their salaries progressively (about 25%) instead of just 10%. Upon realization, a request through the office of Cllr. Verdier for a return of the surplus taxation to the affected employees. This request for reimbursement was approved by the then deputy finance minister for revenue, Dr. James Kollie to be paid in three installments for the periods covering 2009 to 2014.

The complaint to the Senate revealed that the LACC boss made full payments of the first installment to the employees – both those still in the employ of the LACC and those who had left. However, there were alleged discrepancies in the manner in which the second payment was disbursed. “We do acknowledge the kind gesture exhibited by Cllr. Verdier, except that when the second installment was released to the anti-graft commission, Cllr. Verdier, without the consent of the affected employees, unilaterally deducted USD30,000 under the pretense he/and or the administration of the LACC were going to procure a power generator.” Read More

President George Weah’s Jamaican Wife to Carry Liberian Passport, Source: FrontPage Africa

According to FrontPage Africa, when President George Weah was Senator he had requested the Foreign Ministry to issue his wife a Liberian passport, but she was denied on grounds that she was not a Liberian. Mrs. Clar Weah was born in Jamaica, but migrated to the United States.  According to reports, Mrs. Weah was firstly denied possessing a Liberian passport even after her fingerprints were done at the Foreign Ministry. But with her new portfolio as First Lady, her husband will waive her status and she will possess a Liberian passport. Read More

AFL Retires Gen. Ziankahn … New Chief of Staff Says Challenges in Military will be Mitigated, Source: The INQUIRER

The former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) has cautioned his successor not to allow any uniform man to have more freedom than a military discipline can permit. Major-General Daniel Ziankahn, who now retires from the Army to serve in an administrative position as defense minister-designate urged Brigadier-General Prince Johnson, III to do more constructional and reprimand, this paper reports.

Retired Major-General Ziankahn said if the incoming Chief of Staff Johnson cannot reprimand his friends, he will be sending out a clear message that he cannot maintain the morale of the National Army. The former Chief of Staff said he will hold the Chief of Staff responsible if any of his men are to disrespect any civilian. “It is hard to leave, but I can only say thank you. Old soldiers never die, they only appear again and I’m appearing in another way,” the retired army general said.

Receiving the turnover notes, the Chief of Staff-designate, Brigadier-General Johnson promised to ensure that the pro-poor agenda of the George Weah administration will be encouraged during his tenure with the military. Gen. Johnson said he will advance this agenda through several recommendations following his confirmation by the Senate.  Brigadier-General Johnson who now steps into the shoes of his late father, Lieutenant-General Prince Johnson who served the AFL from 1977 to 1999 will be decorated as Major-General after his confirmation hearing.

Suspended Cllr. Gibson’s Lawyers: “Our Client Was Broke”, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Lawyers representing justice minister-designate Charles Gibson in a petition to restore his status as counselor-at-law have told justices of the Supreme Court that their client had until recently been unable to restitute Anwar Saoud’s USD25,400 because he was broke, not having earned income since his suspension by the high court about one year ago. Gibson’s lead counsel Emmanuel James said his client’s belated payment of Saoud’s money was not due to any privy information that he would be appointed justice minister by President George Weah, but rather to his client’s state of penury (impoverishment). James said his Gibson had to rally with his colleagues and friends to raise the amount in order to satisfy the ruling of the court.

He reportedly made the payment to Saoud on Wednesday, 17 January just six days before President Weah nominated him as justice minister-designate. The high court has meanwhile, reinstated his license that was suspended on 24 February 2017 barring him from practicing law. Read more

Judge Becomes Defendant in USD30K Truck ‘Disappearance’ Case, Source: Daily OBSERVER

The Daily Observer reports that a decision by Magistrate Tweh Wesseh of the Gardnersville Magisterial Court to charge both Robert Lambin and Layee Kromah with theft over the disappearance of a white DAF truck valued at USD30,000 from the premises of the Temple of Justice has caused their lawyers to file a lawsuit against Magistrate Wesseh at Criminal Court ‘C’. The truck allegedly went missing on Friday, 19 January. Read more

Police Officer Exhibits Professionalism … When He Came Under Attack, Source: The INQUIRER

A police officer whose name was not disclosed was reportedly beaten Wednesday evening by a group of money exchangers at the VOA Junction in Brewerville outside Monrovia even though he (the officer) was in possession of a firearm, this paper reports.

According to the chairman of the VOA Junction Business Community, Morris Sambulai said on Wednesday afternoon, a PSU officer of the Liberia National Police (LNP) went to arrest a money exchanger Francis Barbwire, an action the money exchanger resisted which resulted to a scuffle between the police officer and the money exchanger who picked up a pair of scissors to harm the officer. Sambulai stated that Barbwire was later joined by his friends who beat up the PSU officer, while the community people and other marketers in the area watched and applauded the money exchangers for beating the police officer. He further stated that the police officer fired a warning shot to scare them away, but said they still attacked him.

CNFA, Partners Break Ground for Rice Mill in Lofa, Source: Daily OBSERVER

Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and partners including J-Rice and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) broke ground recently for the construction of the Selma Agriculture Development Cooperation (SADC) rice milling facility in Voinjama, Lofa County. The project valued at USD210,000 is a major step under the USD361,000 MOA/IFAD/J-Rice grant financing to access funding for the construction of a large rice milling facility that will house a 10 metric ton per day rice processing machine. Read more

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ON LIBERIA

Altus Strategies discovers mining sites at Zolowo project in Liberia, Source: Mining Technology

Altus Strategies has identified more than 50 alluvial gold mining sites at its 100%-owned Zolowo project in Lofa County, north-western Liberia. The development comes after the company recently completed the first phase of an exploration programme at the project. The company completed the initial reconnaissance exploration programme in a bid to verify several potential artisanal mining sites, as interpreted from the remote-sensing programme. Altus Strategies chief executive Steven Poulton said: “We are very encouraged by the significant number and scale of the artisanal alluvial gold mining operations discovered at Zolowo. Read more