Verity Newspaper has investigated and uncovered a trove of financial documents, including details of supplementary budget, fund statements, budget variance analysis, and estimates.
The Chairperson, Davidetta Browne Lansanah, is under immense pressure from her fellow commissioners and NEC staff to account for some US$8 million she claimed to have reported to GOL. However, staff and some commissioners have deemed her claim “false and misleading.” The $8 million allegation led to a protest last week by staffers. The NEC chairperson has not yet outrightly denied these allegations from her colleagues.
The accusation, which has sparked agitation among NEC staff and members of the Board of Commissioners (BOC), centers on a series of unilaterally controversial financial decisions taken by the Chairperson and the Commission’s Executive Director.
Verity has gathered from multiple inside sources at the NEC that the Chairperson’s claim that she remitted $8 million to the Government of Liberia (GOL) has been deemed “false and misleading.”
A recent investigation revealed that the Chairperson was pressured to disclose this amount only after a transitional team appointed by President-elect George Weah initiated an inquiry into the status of key government agencies, including the NEC.
According to our sources, the transitional team, led by Hon. James Fromoyah, Hon. Jonathon K. Weedor, and Hon. Josiah Jokai, reportedly attempted to meet with the Chairperson to discuss the Commission’s financial standing.
However, sources say the Chairperson allegedly refused to meet with the team in person despite the team’s presence at the NEC.
This alleged refusal prompted the transitional team to conduct its due diligence, uncovering bank balances and other financial details that were subsequently presented to the relevant authorities.
Following these revelations, former Finance Minister Boimah F. Kamara reportedly requested the NEC to authenticate the figures submitted by the transitional team.
At this point, the Chairperson reported the 8 million dollars, much to the surprise of other BOC members and NEC staff.
In a further escalation of financial controversy, it has been alleged that the Chairperson, alongside the Executive Director, “criminally” manipulated the budgetary process by creating a Supplementary Budget without the approval or knowledge of key stakeholders.
According to internal sources, the BOC, the NEC Comptroller, and the Budget Director, who are legally responsible for preparing financial documents, were excluded from the process.
This omission is said to have been part of an intentional strategy to adjust budget projections and transfer funds from previous budget years into nonexistent projects, according to several inside sources confirmed in Verity News.
Following the submission of the Supplementary Budget to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), the BOC’s Co-Chairperson raised several critical questions regarding the irregularities in the budget. Key concerns included:
Why was the Supplementary Budget prepared without the involvement of the BOC, the Comptroller, and the Budget Director?
How were the figures in the budget determined, and why were budget line items transferred without the knowledge of budget holders, in violation of the Public Financial Management (PFM) law?
Why were staff benefits excluded from the Supplementary Budget, including four months of hazard pay and insurance?
Despite these concerns communicated directly to the Chairperson, the Chair allegedly ignored the queries and failed to address the missing staff benefits, even after multiple staff meetings.
This lack of responsiveness has only fueled further discontent within the Commission.
In a shocking turn, Minister Nuafuan reportedly informed the BOC that out of the 6 million Liberian dollars in the NEC’s account, the Government had taken 4 million, leaving only 2 million behind.
The BOC was then tasked with creating a new budget based on the remaining 2 million.
The Co-Chairperson formed a committee to draft this new budget, ensuring that staff benefits were included as initially promised in the elections budget.
However, the Chairperson reportedly refused to sign the budget, citing her opposition to staff benefits, a stance she publicly reiterated on a local radio program, OK Morning Rush.
The ongoing dispute has divided NEC staff and commissioners, with many questioning the Chairperson’s leadership and financial decision-making.
As the situation continues to unfold, questions remain about the future of the NEC and whether its leadership will be held accountable for alleged financial misconduct.
The case will likely have significant implications for Liberia’s upcoming elections and the integrity of the NEC, an institution vital to the country’s democratic process.
Meanwhile, Verity Newspaper has not been able to verify these accusations independently.
