The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has earned public praise in recent months for releasing a wave of investigative reports into misuse of public funds-highlighting financial malpractice at institutions such as the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) under its former boss Abdullah Kamara, among others.
These efforts signaled a refreshing willingness to confront public sector corruption head-on, and offered hope to a public weary of impunity.
But this momentum now seems to be stalling due to the government’s unwillingness to take action against alleged culprits of corruption at the NRF.
For months, credible allegations have swirled around the NRF, pointing to suspected money laundering, theft, and gross financial malpractice totaling over US$571,900.
At the center of the scandal is Manager Joseta Neufville Wento, accused of orchestrating or enabling illicit transactions, including a questionable procurement of three buses valued at US$85,500 for the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MOPT).
Adding intrigue, and concern, is the reported involvement of an employee of the House of Representatives, raising the stakes beyond just one agency and calling into question the integrity of broader public financial management.
Yet, despite the severity of the allegations and the substantial public interest, the government has remained conspicuously silent on the outcome of the LACC’s probe into the NRF.
What Is the Delay About?
The LACC has demonstrated its capacity to conclude investigations efficiently when there is political will and public scrutiny.
So why the delay with the NRF?
Is it the complexity of the case? The political connections involved? Or is this a case of selective transparency, where some reports are fast-tracked for release while others are kept under wraps due to the individuals or institutions involved?
Whatever the reason, the delay is damaging. It feeds public suspicion, undermines trust in the Commission’s independence, and threatens to unravel the credibility it has worked hard to build.
Liberians are already dealing with the painful consequences of corruption: poor roads, weak healthcare, underfunded education, and systemic poverty.
The National Road Fund, established to support road infrastructure, is a critical development agency. Every dollar misappropriated there is a pothole that won’t be fixed, a bridge that won’t be built, or a community that will remain cut off.
The LACC’s mandate is not just to investigate corruption – it is to ensure that investigations are transparent, accountable, and free from political interference.
Delaying the release of the NRF report only emboldens wrongdoers and signals that justice may be negotiable depending on who’s involved.
A Call to Action
We call on the Government of Liberia to immediately release the findings on the NRF investigation and take action against wrongdoers. If wrongdoing occurred, the public has a right to know. If no wrongdoing is found, then clearing the names of those involved is equally important.
Delays only create space for doubts and misgivings, and in the fight against corruption, perception matters.
The public has waited long enough. Justice delayed, in this case, feels dangerously closed to justice denied.
