–Over 700 fake receipts of ghost returnees, CBL checks leaked
Verity News has thoroughly investigated and uncovered a syndicate of massive corruption amounting to US$1.5 million intended for Liberian returnees from Buduburam Camp, Ghana. The senior management of the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), led by Executive Director Patrick T. Worzie, is allegedly at the Centre of this scandal.
The LRRRC printed over 700 fake receipts with ghost names/numbers and submitted them to the Ministry of Finance for approval to receive payments under pretense through dozens of CBL checks amounting to US$1.5 million. Verity News investigated over 700 receipts, names, and numbers that the LRRRC claimed to have paid.
After calling those numbers and following up on “returnee recipients”, our investigation established that those payment receipts were fake with ghost names, photos, and other fraudulent details. When contacted, the Deputy Director for Administration of LRRRC, Mr. A. J. Armah Karneh, distanced himself from the scandal and asked Verity News to contact the Executive Director Patrick T. Worzie. Since the Executive Director could not be reached after several attempts through calls and texts, Verity News also contacted the Deputy Director for Operations, Mr. Richard Hoff, who claimed that Mr. A. J. Armah Karneh was directly involved and knowledgeable about the scandal. “In fact, it was the Deputy Director for Administration who headed the payment team. He is directly linked. Why must he lie?” Hoff concluded in a brief chat with Verity News.
It can be recalled that the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) recently submitted its report on the Repatriation of some “1,539 returnees” to H.E. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai even though a credible inside source disputes the 1,539 figure claiming that “it’s a scam”. “The real number is less than 700 returnees, but they inflated the number to get more money from the government to pocket it. They’ve dumped those vulnerable returnees in various communities to suffer after eating almost all of their money. The number of returnees was never 1,539 as they are claiming,” the source confided.
Based on the number of returnees as submitted by the LRRRC, the Government of Liberia allotted US$1,535,027 as a budget for a resettlement package for stranded Liberian returnees. The money was disbursed in various instalments: US$486,027; US$450,000; US$225,000; and US$374,000.
According to the bank statements in our possession (Operational USD Account #1602003880) and (Operational LRD Account #1601002996, hundreds of transactions in USD and LRD were made between May and July 2024 in several different names including senior managers such as Executive Director Patrick Worzie, Deputy for Administration A. J. Armah Karneh, and Executive Director for Operations Richard Hofff.
After investigating over 700 returnees’ receipts with fake photos and phone numbers which were downloaded and generated to deceive the government into remitting over US$1.5 million for payment of “returnees”, Verity News has in its possession a detailed report of investigative findings, including the original owners of the fake phone numbers to which ghost names and photos were attached by the LRRRC. Our investigation also retrieved hundreds of CBL Checks paid to ghost returnees. ‘
When contacted, the LRRRC management could not provide any clear explanation relating to this scandal. Both deputy directors did not deny the fake receipts in question but referred Verity News to the Executive Director.
For instance, one Faith Timah & Faith Timah with the details (LMC 1 – 737 & 737, Two Dependents, and Cell #s – 0777520740 / 077062116) was repeated two times and “paid” US$USD180 and LRD23,160 each on July 25, 2024. The first number belongs to Hon. James P. Biney, Senator of Maryland, according to Caller App and the second number is invalid and it belongs to one Kaka 1 who claimed to be a Businesswoman. Both numbers and individuals, which have no association with “Faith Timah, do not belong to any Liberian returnee.
Rita Barwon & Rita Barwon was also repeated with details (LMC 1 – 069 & 624, Cell # – 0770160438 / 0770911101) and paid USD180 plus LRD23,160 each on June 24, 2024 and July 25, 2024. Once again, the same name, different phone numbers, different IDs, and the same amount of money in the payment. The Cell number is active and is used by one Jacob who is a gas boy but it is now invalid according to the caller app report. The 2nd number belongs to one Bobby.
The investigation of Verity News has established over 700 fake receipts with similar doctored details as Faith Timah and Rita Barwon who were paid. This latest US$1.5 Million scandal calls for an immediate investigation by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).
