MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) is at the center of what is being described as the biggest corruption scandal to hit President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s administration to date. More than US$1.5 million was siphoned through the use of over 700 fake receipts for non-existent returnees between May and July 2024, according to anti-corruption activist Martin K. N. Kollie.
Kollie revealed that his investigative team from Verity News had gathered substantial evidence, including fake receipts, Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) checks, bank statements, and lists of fake returnees. He named LRRRC Executive Director Patrick T. Worzie, Deputy Director for Administration A. J. Armah Karneh, and Deputy Director for Operations Richard Hoff as the main culprits behind the fraudulent scheme.
“We have all the documentary evidence, including over 700 fake receipts with ghost returnees, over 200 CBL checks, fake catering contractors, two bank statements (in LRD and USD), and memos. Payments amounting to over US$1.5 million were approved by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) and disbursed by the CBL in four instalments based on these fake receipts through two operational bank accounts,” Kollie explained. The payments included US$486,027, US$450,000, US$225,000, and US$374,000.
Kollie also mentioned that while many original returnees did not receive their rightful resettlement package, the LRRRC inflated the number of returnees to pocket more funds. “Returnees are far below 1,500. Some original returnees are willing to testify that they didn’t receive a dime or only got a fraction of what was due to them,” he added.
It can be recalled that the LRRRC recently submitted a report to President Boakai on the repatriation of “1,539 returnees from Ghana.” However, an inside source within the commission disputes this figure, claiming that “it’s a scam.” The source stated, “The real number is less than 700 returnees, but they inflated the number to get more money from the government to pocket it. They’ve dumped those vulnerable returnees in various communities to suffer after eating almost all of their money.”
Based on the LRRRC’s report, the Government of Liberia allocated US$1,535,027 as a budget for the resettlement of the returnees. The money was disbursed in various instalments: US$486,027, US$450,000, US$225,000, and US$374,000. However, according to bank statements in Kollie’s possession from two operational accounts (USD Account #1602003880 and LRD Account #1601002996), hundreds of fraudulent transactions were made between May and July 2024 under the names of senior LRRRC managers, including Patrick Worzie, A. J. Armah Karneh, and Richard Hoff.
Kollie called for immediate action, urging the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to investigate the scandal. “We demand full accountability. Our job as activists is to protect the public interest from state criminals and fraudsters who are keeping our people in poverty through institutionalized thievery,” Kollie said. He also revealed that carbon copies of the evidence had been sent to the LACC, the Office of the Auditor General, and international organizations like Transparency International, Global Witness, and Human Rights Watch.
As the scandal unfolds, Liberians are calling for swift justice and accountability, with many looking to see how President Boakai’s administration handles this massive case of public theft. Will the alleged perpetrators be held accountable, or will this scandal further erode public trust in the government? The nation watches closely.
