Monrovia, Liberia – Confusion continues to swirl over the much-talked-about US$37,000 legislative project fund, with staffers and supporters of Montserrado County District #2 Representative Sekou S. Kanneh rejecting claims from some constituents that the lawmaker personally received the money from government coffers.
According to Julius G. Moore, a strong supporter of Rep. Kanneh, no lawmaker in Liberia directly received such funds from the Government of Liberia. He explained that allocations for legislative projects are channeled through the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE), which is responsible for disbursing and implementing projects in line with district priorities.
Moore stressed that lawmakers only play an advisory role by identifying projects that benefit their constituencies, but do not handle the money themselves. “This system was established to ensure transparency and prevent lawmakers from directly managing funds,” he noted.
He further clarified that the US$37,000 in question was earmarked for District #2 under the government’s legislative support program but was administered entirely by LACE.
“Representative Kanneh has not received, managed, or mismanaged US$37,000 as some are claiming,” Moore emphasized. “The truth is that the money was processed through LACE for community development initiatives.”
The statement comes in response to accusations by the District #2 Frontliners, a local advocacy group, which had suggested that the lawmaker personally controlled and mismanaged the funds.
Observers say the clarification is important in addressing mounting concerns over transparency and accountability in the use of legislative project allocations across the country. However, the lawmaker’s constituents are demanding full accountability through a financial report.
