Grand Kru County Technical College has allegedly become a source of financial fishing by some top individuals said to not be providing required services for the education institution.
A thorough investigation by Verity News uncovered that Josephus Moses Gray, Dean of Amos Claudius College at the University of Liberia (UL) is serving as the acting President of Grand Kru Technical College, even though he lives in Monrovia and continues to work and receive pay at the University of Liberia.
Gray who did not deny working for the both institutions and getting paid from both at the same time, boasted that as a board member of Grand Kru Technical College, he was the most qualified following the resignation of the previous president, something that led to President Joseph Nyumah Boakai appointing him to serve as the college’s acting president, even though he lives in Monrovia and fully working at UL.
“It is not allegedly. I was appointed by the President of the Republic of Liberia. I am . I am the co-chair on the board of trustees and the board of trustees appointed me because I hold a statutory appointment. The head of a college must hold a PhD, so when the President resigned, among the board members of trustees, I am the only PhD degree holder,” he said yesterday in an interview via phone.
He said it is not a crime that he works with both UL and the college.
“Dr. Al-Hassan Qanteh is the Ambassador to Nigeria and has is now serving as the acting president of the University of Liberia. The President of the Republic appoints people who work for other places to serve on boards and other institutions,” he further justified.
Gray noted that Government payroll is an open secret and he is not denying. “I serve as a board member on for some other institutions and I get paid. I don’t have to resign from the University of Liberia.
He boasts of also serving as ambassador counselor for the Foreign Affairs Ministry.”
Darius Doe, a staff who works for Senator Numene Bartekwa as well as House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa has also been accused of receiving pay from Grand Kru Technical College. The name is on the payroll which is in the possession of Verity.
Darius is said to be living in Caldwell, Monrovia and attends the United Methodist University in Monrovia.
Unlike Dean Gray, Doe denied working for the Technical College and receiving pay.
“My name is Darius Doe and I work at the Legislature. I do not work for the Technical College. First, the name on the payroll is misspelled. I took interest to follow up with this issue because the name is similar to mine. And, I went to IB Bank to verify if someone was using my name and receiving pay from the College but I found out that the account is opened in another person’s name identified as Alice Toe,” Darius explained to Verity through phone call interview yesterday.
He said Darius Does is at number 40 while Alice Toe is at 51 on the payroll.
“Alice Toe is the legitimate owner of the account but those who created their own fake payroll decided to spread Alice account in front of my name for blackmailing purpose,” he said.
He disclosed that he has in his possession the official payroll of the college and his investigation allegedly proves that “a few Unity Party people created that fake payroll to target the president and some of us who are CDCians.”
Doe was House Speaker Koffa’s the 2023 campaign team lead in Grand Kru District #2.
“That payroll is beyond fake. It is beyond realistic and I do not work there and I do not take pay there.anybody can go and verify that bank account. It does not belong to me,” he said, adding that his follow up shows that Alice Toe is not receiving the US$1000 placed before her name as she is she is a janitor.
For the communication and public affairs officer in the office of Speaker Koffa, there is no connection of his boss to any placement of names of people on the college payroll.
“He is not involved and apart from the oversight role from the angle of the Legislature as a Caucus member of the County, the Speaker has no role in determining who works at the college,” Leroy Sonpon said.
