MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Sekou Sheriff, Chief Executive Officer of Voice of Liberia, has accused senior officials of the Liberia Revenue Authority of issuing life-threatening warnings against him. Sheriff claims that the threats, allegedly made by Assistant Commissioner for Large Tax, Margaret Krote, and the agency’s head of IT, Kollie Zayzay, have left him fearing for his safety.
In a formal complaint addressed to LRA Commissioner General Dorbor Jallah, Sheriff detailed an alarming encounter at Roberts International Airport on February 1, 2025. He said he was at the airport accompanying a friend when Krote and several LRA staff called him over. Expecting a routine interaction, he approached them, only to be met with hostility.
According to Sheriff, Krote immediately confronted him with insults and accusations, claiming he had spoken about her on his radio show. He said she and her colleagues escalated the situation, issuing direct threats and attempting to provoke him into a physical altercation. Outnumbered and without security, Sheriff said he had no choice but to leave the area while the threats continued.
Sheriff believes the confrontation was triggered by his previous reporting on a tax fraud scandal involving a private company. He said he had alerted the LRA about the issue, which prompted an independent audit. The investigation reportedly confirmed financial irregularities, but Sheriff alleged that Krote had sought to interfere with the process.
Citing the growing number of unexplained deaths in the country, Sheriff stated that receiving threats from powerful government officials has made him deeply concerned for his life. He has called on Commissioner Jallah to take immediate action, emphasizing that journalists must be protected from intimidation for exposing corruption.
