MONROVIA – Huge financial liabilities including the alleged misappropriation of over US$65k have been reported at State Radio, the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), with fingers being pointed at members of the past management team headed by ex-Director General, Estelle Liberty-Kemoh, and former Officer-In-Charge, Laura Seanayyoue Brown, who is currently serving the institution as Human Resource manager.
Eugene Fahngon, Director General of LBS, disclosed at a news conference Wednesday that his administration inherited huge financial liabilities, pointing out that prior to taking over at the public broadcaster, in spite of a presidential moratorium prohibiting government entities from spending not more than US$5,000, a whooping sum of over US$65k was expended at the Liberia Broadcasting System.
“From January 22nd to March 22nd, the group that was left in charge spent over 65,000 within the two months, instead of 10,000,” Fahngon maintained, adding that during such period, fuel and other things also got missing from LBS.
He vowed to take administrative action to address alleged financial irregularities and other forms of improprieties that took place at LBS during the reign of the past administration headed by Madam Liberty-Kemoh and the transition period when OIC Brown sat in temporarily.
Fahngon, who pointed out that he would not accuse anyone of stealing from LBS stated; “I will not accuse anyone of stealing but when we are done with this place, a lot of people will answer for what they did before.”
Quoting a turnover note from his predecessor, Fahngon divulged that some US$51,000 was paid by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to the LBS for a partnership deal, but he clarified that said amount was expended before the current management team’s arrival at State Radio.
“According to the books; BBC [pays] 51,000 every year. And before we got here, the 51,000 coupled with other sums of money was used up by the Officer-In-Charge and her team here. We were not here. We only heard about it,” Fahngon emphasized.
“We will do something by the end of next week to address some of the problems that are administrative. We will take the necessary administrative actions next week Friday, Director General Fahngon vowed.
He expressed doubt over huge financial expenditures the LBS past administration claimed to have made, terming a report of what is believed to be the entity’s total liabilities as being a lie based on bills being brought in currently by vendors claiming to have transacted with the previous management team of LBS.
Meanwhile, LBS former Director General, Liberty-Kemoh has refuted claims of financial malpractices on her watch at LBS and has since filed a formal complaint against LBS current Director General, Fahngon, to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of LBS, Jerolinmek Piah, Minister of Information Cultural Affairs and Tourism.
According to Liberty-Kemoh, Fahngon made baseless accusations against her and other members of the former management team of LBS, when he alleged they squandered financial resources and left the state-owned broadcaster in a deplorable state.
