Samuel Tweah, Minister of Finance and Development Planning
LIBERIA – In wake of a serious financial crisis at the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) which is hampering the conduct of census in the country, a youth activist has accused an aide of the Minister of Finance, Samuel D. Tweah of allegedly withdrawing US$160,000 from the account of LISGIS.
Martin Kollie, who is in exile, reported that Mr. Aloysius Howe, Finance Minister Samuel Tweah’s Media assistant on October 19, 2022, allegedly withdrew US$160, 000 from the account of LISGIS.
Kollie did not state the purpose of the alleged withdrawal but disclosed that the amount was allegedly withdrawn on Cheque Number BG CHK330, with reference number J01CQWL222920084. He did not state which bank.
But Aloysius Howe swiftly pushed back on the allegation on his Facebook: “Imagine my broke self-sitting here and one young man is running about on Facebook accusing me of taking $160kusd and 16kusd from LISGIS account. This is extremely laughable!!
“Does this young man even know the procedure for taking money from an institution account before coming out here to accuse a man like me who doesn’t work at LISGIS and has no authorizing power of taking all these monies? This cooked lie has no iota of truth and this young man will need to find something better to do with his time.”
Aloysius does not work for LISGIS, so what is his connection with the census agency of the Government that led to the alleged withdrawal of cash from its account?
His boss, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah is said to be the chairman of the board of LISGIS.
Activist Martin K. N. Kollie not only accused Aloysius Howe of the act, but he also accused the Finance Minister of allegedly emboldening and protecting the acting head of LISGIS, Wilmot Smith, and cohorts to commit fraud at the institution.
Kollie alleged that Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah is at the center of SCAM and State plunder.
“Why haven’t we gone to Census since March 2018, as the law requires? Because of rampant CORRUPTION, and this is what I want to deal with. So, tighten your seat belts we take LISGIS current management to task for being CORRUPT and CLUELESS”, Kollie said.
According to Martin Kollie, the Government of Liberia through LISGIS controls and manages several accounts, including two different Census Accounts at Eco-bank Liberia Limited.
He disclosed that all monies transferred from GOL (Ministry of Finance) to LISGIS are supposed to be deposited directly into ‘The Census Basket Fund’ which is controlled and managed by UNFPA.
But Martin Kollie pointed out that this is not been the case.
He revealed that Monies that should go to these accounts have allegedly been and are being siphoned and stolen; without giving tangible evidence.
He accused the Finance Minister of allegedly being at the center of the scandal for which the acting leadership of LISGIS is still holding on, despite the financial scandal in the agency and for which the census is not going on. Details coming up.
