“Management made payments for goods and services amounting to US$24,749,002.00 and L$621,949,854.95 without evidence…” GAC Leaked Audit Report
“I was only in control of manpower and not financial matters. I did not sign any check or manage any money,”
Former EPS Chief of Operation Seward Briggs told Verity News via WhatsApp and Messenger.
In his quest to fulfill a major campaign promise of fighting corruption as well as ensuring transparency and accountability across various line ministries and agencies of government, President Joseph Nyumah Boakai on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, mandated the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to commission a comprehensive audit of three key government institutions including the Executive Protection Service (EPS), the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), and the National Security Agency (NSA).
The directive of President Boakai as contained in a formal communication to the Auditor General of Liberia requested the audit of the three public institutions to cover the period between 2018 and 2023 and that the findings be made available within three months.
The Presidential Press Office said that the audit demonstrated President Boakai’s firm commitment to the fight against public graft in Liberia.
A thorough investigation by Verity News has uncovered that the audit reports of the EPS and the CBL are on the desk of President Joseph Boakai even though he later rescinded his decision to audit the NSA due to what his office termed “sensitive operations”.
After more than 5 months since President Boakai commissioned the audit of the NSA and the CBL on February 7, 2024, a damning leaked audit report in possession of Verity News has revealed that US$24.74 million and L$621.94 million were spent without evidence of supporting documents such as payment vouchers, copy of checks, cash invoices, delivery notes, and other relevant financial documents to prove various transactions.
The damning GAC report dated May 2024 stated in paragraph 4 of page 6, “Management made payments for goods and services amounting to US$24,749,002.00 and L$621,949,854.95 without evidence of adequate supporting documents such as payment vouchers, copy of checks, cash invoices, delivery notes, and other relevant documents to authenticate the transactions.
Furthermore, these payments were made in the names of employees rather than the vendors, service providers, direct beneficiaries, or legally authorized representatives.”
The leaked report in question captured expenditures amounting to US$15,709,952.00 for special operation services and intelligence services without any evidence of field activities reports as required by Section 2(1-6) of the National Security Reform and Intelligence Act of 2011, Regulation P.9 (2) of the PFM Act of 2009 as Amended and Restated 2019, and Regulations B.28 of the PFM Act of 2009 as Amended and Restated 2019.
According to the report, EPS Management at the time received several transfers totaling US$3,800,000.00 and L$172,785,500.00 from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) through the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) without supporting documentation to explain the purposes for the transfers.
Furthermore, the report stated that the EPS Management expended an excess of US$12,177,865.76 between the Approved Budget and the Fiscal Outturn Reports for FY 2018/2019 to FY 2023 without evidence of an approved re-casted budget.
“Management did not provide detailed ledgers for expenditures amounting to US$64,461,625.71 for
FY2018/2019 to FY2023 as stated in the Fiscal Outturn Reports. Management operated the EPS without evidence of Quarterly Budget Performance Reports for the periods under audit,” the findings of the GAC leaked Audit Report revealed.
The bank statement of the EPS showed that James E. G. Helb, Chairman of the Employees Development Funds and an “A” signatory to the account, withdrew more than One Hundred Eighty-Eight Thousand Six Hundred and Thirty United States Dollars (US$188,630.00) from the funds’ bank account using the mobile transfer Apps U-Direct and LEO Apps, for personal use.
The report further revealed that James E. G. Helb also withdrew the amount of Fifty Thousand United States Dollars (US$50,000.00) to purchase land without authorization from the Board for resale to the employees, non-compliant with approved policy.
The report also uncovered that Management did not remit into the GoL Consolidated Account the total amount of US$126,860.00 which was deducted from the salaries of delinquent EPS staff.
During the period under audit from 2018 to 2023, the following personnel managed the affairs of the EPS: Mr. Trokon N. Roberts (Director), Mr. Sodjatt H. Wolo (Assistant Director), Mr. Matthew J. Coker (Chief of Administration), and Mr. Seward Briggs (Chief of Operations). Verity News made every effort to reach out to them but could only get Mr. Seward Briggs up to reporting time.
Mr. Briggs said to Verity News that when he served the EPS as Chief of Operations, he was never responsible for financial matters. “…When I was there, I was only in control of manpower and not financial matters. I did not sign any check or manage any money,” Briggs told Verity News via WhatsApp and Messenger.
