MONROVIA – When Hon. Varlee F. Sanor took over the role of Acting Director General of the Bureau of State Enterprises (BSE), he set a clear agenda: 1) to enforce transparency, 2) strengthen accountability, and 3) restore public trust in one of Liberia’s most critical oversight agencies, BSE. Moreover, less than 2 months (July-August, 2025) into his tenure as Acting Director General, Sanor was being accused of corruption at the entity, but he insists that these allegations are politically motivated and driven by people who are resistant to reform.
In recent weeks, several Liberian media outlets reported that Sanor was under an investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) for alleged financial improprieties. But the Bureau moved swiftly to reject the reports from the various news outlets, and describing the media reports as “false, misleading, and malicious.”
According to some BSE officials, the allegations are rooted in discontent among certain entrenched groups within the institution — individuals who seem to be uncomfortable with Sanor’s unwavering determination to clean up longstanding practices of mismanagement at the BSE.
According to information received, at the heart of the controversy came a letter from the LACC, dated August 27, 2025, requesting the appearance of 22 staff members of the BSE to appear before the Commission in connection with the alleged corruption claims. To the relief of many persons Sanor’s name was not included on the list of people to appear for investigation at the LACC. On the contrary, the Bureau emphasized that it was Sanor himself who initiated the internal review by directly contacting the LACC Chairperson, Madam Alexandra Kormah Zoe, triggered all of the investigations that are being carried out by the anti-graft body.
Mr. Sanor, then Deputy Director General for Administration, was the one who invited the scrutiny of the Bureau by the anti-graft body. They argued that the Acting Director General has totally demonstrated a commitment to openness rather than wrongdoing.
These allegations come against the backdrop of Liberia’s broader reform drive under President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s ARREST Agenda, which prioritizes Accountability, Rule of law, Reconciliation, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism. This reform push has rattled longstanding bureaucratic and political interest groups across government. For the BSE, which oversees all government-owned state enterprises (SOEs), transparency and accountability are not just a mandate but a necessity for transformational change, given the humongous amount of money tied to its oversight function.
Sanor’s push for reform is built on a decisive shift which started sometime last year, before former Director General Arthur Massaquoi got suspended over financial improprieties. That move is widely seen as a signal that the administration under his watch would not tolerate business as usual, which also has sparked an internal pushback. To deepen accountability and transparency, Sanor invited both the General Auditing Commission (GAC) and the Internal Audit Agency (IAA) to conduct full audits of the Bureau’s finances and operations immediately upon assuming office. This decisive action on his part has won him praises and admirations in reformist circles, but it appears to have simultaneously hardened opposition to his efforts. For Sanor, the challenge now is one of balance, maintaining the momentum of reform while ensuring stability in an agency that is still unsettled by his reformation efforts to bring change.
Some key supporters are arguing that if the LACC concludes its investigations, the credibility of the Bureau will only grow stronger, positioning the Acting Director General as a trusted figure in Liberia’s anti-corruption efforts. But some critics, being emboldened by malicious media propaganda, continue to question whether his approach risks deepening divisions within the institution.
As the investigation moves forward, what remains clear is that the Bureau of State Enterprises sits at the crossroads of Liberia’s governance and accountability framework. How Sanor navigates the turbulence may determine not only his own legacy but also the credibility of reforms in a sector long plagued by mismanagement and scandal.
