Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis, along with NOCAL’s Financial Comptroller Richmond Jallah and Edmond Massaquoi II, an IT technician at the Ministry of Transport, have been formally indicted on multiple corruption-related charges by the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court “C” in Monrovia.
The indictment, filed by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) include economic sabotage, fraud on the internal revenue, misuse of public funds, illegal disbursement of public money, tampering with public records, criminal conspiracy, criminal facilitation, criminal attempt, and violations of the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) and Public Financial Management (PFM) laws.
To secure their release pending trial, Dennis and Jallah posted a criminal appearance bond totaling $255,000 USD.
The bond was guaranteed by Brighter Day School, Inc., represented by its principal, and Ms. Anna Jallah, who were listed as sureties and offered property as collateral.
Under the terms of the bond, the defendants are required to appear before the court whenever summoned and remain under the court’s jurisdiction throughout the trial.
If convicted, they have agreed to surrender to the sheriff to serve any sentence imposed.
The bond was officially filed on July 22, 2025, at 12:31 PM, with court clerk Reg. Hawa R. JuwDe recording the submission.
The matter is scheduled for hearing during the August Term of Court, presided over by Assigned Circuit Judge Joe S. Barkon.
Indictment
According to a 25-count indictment filed on July 15, 2025, prosecutors allege that the defendants conspired to manipulate the approved procurement process for the acquisition of a high-end executive vehicle, budgeted at $75,000 for the NOCAL CEO.
The budgeted purchase, authorized under the 2024 fiscal year and approved by the PPCC, was intended for a single luxury SUV for official government use.
Instead, the accused allegedly altered procurement records to reflect two separate vehicles-an MG ONE ($33,000) and an MG RX8 ($42,000)-both acquired from Cactus Motors.
Private Use of Public Assets
Investigators asserted that the vehicles were delivered directly to CEO Dennis, bypassing NOCAL’s procurement department entirely.
Further scrutiny revealed that one of the vehicles was subsequently transferred to a private business, TANTI Group of Company, which investigators claim is controlled by Dennis herself.
Co-defendant Edmond Massaquoi is alleged to have falsified registration documents at the Ministry of Transport to disguise the ownership of the vehicles.
This included altering Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) and misrepresenting the make and model of the vehicles in official records.
Phone records also allegedly link the fraudulent registration to Dennis, further implicating her in the scheme.
Trail of Fraud
Court documents detail a pattern of deception involving altered procurement paperwork, fake invoices, and tampered registration records.
The second vehicle, the MG RX8, was reportedly placed in the personal possession of Dennis.
Prosecutors say Massaquoi used his position to manipulate the Ministry of Transport’s database and cover the illicit transfers.
The indictment contends that the three defendants acted in concert to defraud the government, misappropriate public funds, and tamper with official documentation-offenses that fall under Title 26, Chapter 15 of Liberia’s New Penal Code.
Public Funds Misused
The alleged fraudulent activities involved the misappropriation of over $75,000-a portion of the broader $255,000 procurement budget approved for the fiscal year.
Prosecutors argue that this case reflects a deliberate violation of the nation’s procurement laws and a serious breach of public trust.
The prosecution claims to have extensive evidence, including procurement plans, vehicle invoices, registration documents, and digital communication records, tracing how public property was unlawfully converted for private use.
The case is set to move to trial under the oversight of Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie at Criminal Court “C” in Monrovia.
The proceedings are being closely monitored by civil society groups and anti-corruption watchdogs, who view the case as a critical test of Liberia’s anti-graft enforcement mechanisms.
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission has reaffirmed its resolve to pursue justice in cases involving public sector corruption, regardless of the defendants’ rank or political connections.
