MONROVIA – A major pension fraud scandal has rocked the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), with over US$50,000 in workers’ contributions allegedly stolen through a fraudulent scheme that targeted employees of Equatorial Palm Oil (EPO). The scandal has led to the dismissal of Gbeh Salinto Montgomery, NASSCORP’s Regional Coordinator for Grand Bassa, Rivercess, and Sinoe Counties, who is accused of masterminding the operation.
The fraud came to light after Grand Bassa District #5 Representative Thomas Alexander Goshua exposed the situation, revealing that EPO was deducting pension contributions from employee salaries but failing to remit the funds to NASSCORP. He also raised alarm over the fact that many of the affected employees were not even found in NASSCORP’s database. “This is criminal,” Goshua said, demanding swift action from both the company and the government.
In a formal letter dated April 10, 2025, NASSCORP Director General Dewitt VonBallmoos acknowledged the concerns raised and assured Goshua of a full investigation. He pledged to verify the deduction practices, assess remittance records, and review the issuance of social security identification cards. The letter included a partial list of contractual workers of LIBINC Oil Palm who had received ID cards.
A subsequent investigation by the Ministry of Labor confirmed widespread fraud, exposing serious irregularities and a deliberate scheme that spanned several months. Community advocate Gardea Fredrick Gunnue revealed that NASSCORP has agreed to refund affected workers after fake receipts allegedly signed by Montgomery were uncovered. Gunnue also accused EPO employee representative Morris Biah and others of colluding in the scheme by presenting fraudulent payment confirmations to employees while diverting the funds for personal use.
“The receipts were fake. The payments never reached NASSCORP. Workers were robbed while being made to believe their future was secure,” Gunnue said. “This is one of the most disgraceful betrayals we’ve seen in recent years.”
The revelation has ignited public outrage, with growing calls for Montgomery’s arrest and prosecution. Though he has been removed from his position, Montgomery has not responded to repeated requests for comment. Citizens and civil society actors have condemned the theft as a violation of the rights of everyday workers who depend on NASSCORP for future retirement security.
“This is not just an administrative failure, it’s organized corruption,” one Buchanan resident remarked. “People worked hard for that money, and now they’ve been left with nothing.”
While NASSCORP has promised to reimburse the defrauded workers, questions remain about how long the scheme went unnoticed and how many other employees in the region might have been affected. The scandal is being described as one of the most damaging pension fraud cases in the corporation’s recent history.
As pressure mounts for criminal charges, many in the public are demanding that both NASSCORP and EPO take full responsibility and ensure that those involved in the scheme are held accountable under the law. The scandal has shaken public confidence in the pension system and raised urgent questions about oversight, internal controls, and corporate collusion in Liberia’s social security framework.
