A thorough investigation by Verity News has uncovered a major scandal linking the Director General of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Mr. David A. Kemah, to alleged corruption, conflict of interest, and abuse of office.
Kemah awarded a vehicle rental service contract to his wife for over a year, costing the government nearly US$30,000 from 2024 to the present.
The IAA, tasked with promoting transparency, accountability, and the responsible use of public resources, now finds itself mired in an alarming ethical and financial scandal.
According to official documents and verified video footage obtained by Verity News, Kemah funneled a lucrative rental contract to his wife through a shell company named E12 Incorporated, in direct violation of the very principles his agency is meant to uphold.
The Scandal Uncovered:
Since the start of Fiscal Year 2024, Mr. Kemah has approved monthly payments of US$1,950 to E12 Incorporated for the rental of a Toyota Corolla (License Plate: A116871).
The vehicle, registered in his wife’s name has operated as an IAA utility vehicle, transporting staff across Monrovia every weekday.
However, service contracts reviewed by Verity News reveal the government was billed for 30 days of service each month, despite the vehicle only being required Monday through Friday.
The investigation by this paper further unveiled that this billing discrepancy amounts to a monthly overpayment of US$455, totaling approximately US$5,460 per year, raising serious concerns of deliberate financial padding.
Moreover, the contracts state that E12 Incorporated is responsible for the vehicle’s maintenance and repairs, yet internal IAA sources report a lack of supporting records or documentation confirming that these services are being delivered.
Multiple service agreements, spanning early 2024 through mid-2025, all bear the DG’s signature and list E12 Incorporated as the exclusive provider.
Notably, public records show the company has no physical address, no listed employees, and is tied only to a single phone number traced to Mr. Kemah’s office.
Conflict of Interest at the Helm of Integrity
This scandal strikes at the core of the IAA’s mission. The Internal Audit Agency is a constitutionally mandated, autonomous integrity institution charged with:
Establishing and directing internal audit functions across government;
Safeguarding public funds through audit oversight; preventing financial crimes, including fraud and embezzlement; Promoting transparency and accountability and enforcing compliance with audit standards.
Ironically, the very agency responsible for rooting out fraud in public institutions is now entangled in what appears to be a textbook case of self-dealing.
By channeling public funds into his wife’s private venture, Kemah has breached ethical obligations and significantly undermined the agency’s credibility.
Shell Company, Suspicious Payments
The use of E12 Incorporated as a proxy raises additional red flags. According to sources familiar with the matter, the company was likely created to obscure the financial relationship between the DG and his wife, enabling them to quietly extract public funds under the guise of legitimate procurement.
A leaked May 2024 contract sets the rental rate at US$65 per day for 30 days, a figure mirrored in subsequent agreements.
The documents themselves are riddled with errors, grammatical mistakes, blank fields, and inconsistent clauses, suggesting either negligence or an attempt to bypass internal scrutiny.
Meanwhile, Verity News has confirmed repeated sightings of the same Toyota Corolla at IAA headquarters on weekday mornings and evenings, aligning with the scope of the rental service and corroborating the paper trail.
Mounting Pressure for Presidential Action
With public trust hanging in the balance, calls are growing for President Joseph Boakai to initiate an urgent, independent investigation into the scandal.
Civil society groups and anti-corruption watchdogs speaking to this paper have urged the General Auditing Commission (GAC) and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to step in, warning that if the country’s premier financial oversight body is compromised, the entire chain of fiscal governance is at risk.
With under a year left in his tenure, critics fear Kemah may be maneuvering to retire with full benefits, despite the ongoing controversy, unless decisive action is taken.
The Bigger Question: Who Audits the Auditors?
This case goes beyond the misuse of public resources. It reveals a deepening crisis of accountability at the very heart of Liberia’s integrity system.
If the IAA, a body created to prevent waste and fraud, cannot hold itself to basic standards of ethics and legality, then who will audit the auditors?
As Liberia continues its uphill battle toward good governance and financial transparency, this moment demands serious reflection.
What happens when the guardian becomes the looter?
Until a full investigation is launched and the truth lay bare, the public must remain watchful.
Institutions like the IAA must not only speak the language of integrity, they must live it, in policy, in practice, and above all, in leadership.
