Investigation by Verity News has uncovered dozens of CBL Checks paid to individuals including over 832K for “legal consultancy” even though CBL has an entire legal department in addition to three (3) more law firms hired on a retainer basis.
Besides payments for “legal consultancy” payments also were made to CBL Deputy Legal Counsel James G. Innis including US$70K as an “engagement fee” for lawmakers to pass an Act Adopting a New Payment System and US$11K paid to CBL Chief Legal Counsel Esther Barclay as CSR.
Esther H. Barclay received over US$505K while Innis got US$237K in cash without any proof of work done according to verifiable documents in our possession. Both Innis and Barclay made dozens of requisitions and received over 25 separate payments in 2009, 2022, and 2023 like they were winning lotto.
The checks in Verity’s possession further confirm the damaging audit findings on CBL that were recently released by the General Auditing Commission (GAC).
The documents show how almost a million U.S. dollars was allegedly siphoned through dozens of payments made to two individuals, Esther Barclay and James G. Innis, for “legal consultancy” and “social corporate responsibility” even though these two individuals are already employees of CBL.
According to documents in our possession, these payments were done outside of existing retainer services provided by three hired law firms that are already contracted to do legal consultancy for CBL.
Our investigation shows that Madam Esther Barclay, the Chief Legal Counsel of CBL, received more than half a million USD in cash through seventeen (17) payments: US$67,120 disbursed in three separate payments in 2019 while fourteen separate payments amounting to US$438,000 were made to her between 2022 and 2023.
Additionally, our investigation further shows that James Innis, the Deputy Legal Counsel to Esther Barclay, received more than US$230,00 through nine (9) payments: US$60,000 was paid to him in 2019 while separate payments amounting to US$177,000 were made to him between 2022 and 2023.
The Auditor General has recommended that Barclay and Innis fully account for these questionable and suspicious expenditures made to them instead of vendors for purposed “services” rendered.
The checks and other financial documents show that these transactions without supporting documents were approved by suspended Executive Governor J. Aloysius Tarlue and resigned Deputy Governor Nyemade Pearson.
Did CBL “bribe” Lawmakers to pass Legislation?
According to other evidence in our possession, including a memo and a check, the Central Bank of Liberia generated a check for US$70,000 after James Innis requested such an amount to be paid an “engagement fee” for lawmakers to pass a Draft Amendment to the Act Adopting the New Payment System of 2014.
“Since the submission of the Draft Amendment to the Act Adopting the New Payment System Act of 2014 to the National Legislature for enactment as per the attachments dated March 31, 2021, till date, several follow-ups have been made on the status from the Legislature but no positive feedback obtained.
With several queries from the World Bank regarding the status of the Draft Amended Act, the Legal Department hereby requests your approval of US$70,000 (Seventy Thousand United States Dollars) for Legislative Engagements with the key actors to ensure the timely passage of the Act which is crucial to the NEPS Project implementation,” the leaked CBL Memo dated July 27, 2023, stated.
The memo which came from James Innis was sent to CBL suspended Executive Governor Aloysius Tarlue and approved by Deputy Governor for Operations Nyemadi D. Pearson. The CBL memo has further exposed the Legislature of allegedly receiving “bribes” or “kickbacks” before passing legislation. Pundits and legal analysts believe that the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) needs to launch an independent investigation into these leaked checks and the extent to which it has exposed the potential mismanagement and misappropriation of public finances.
As dozens of audit reports linger, President Boakai is under public pressure to assert authority in pursuing alleged culprits through an aggressive and nonselective campaign against corruption in Liberia.
