By: S.Winston Blyden
IPNews-Monrovia: Last week, this paper reported the imminent return of Lawmakers to the capitol for a singular coordinating purpose of passing into law
the printing of a new Liberian Bank notes and the confirmation of new Central Bank Governor J. Aloysius Tarlue.
As these speculation continues that members of the 54th Legislature would immediately and put on the floor some of what was left behind (much-unfinished business), including the printing of ‘new’ money about L$35 billion, heightens, executives of the governing Coalition for Democratic Change-CDC, have taken the argument into public gathering as a means of persuading and changing the argument for a YES VOTE in favor of the printing of an expected 43 billion new Liberian Bank noted.
Those leading the argument is House Judiciary Committee Chairman, Representative J. Fonati Koffa (Grand Kru #2), and the acting chairman on Executive, Representative Acarous M. Gray (Montserrado County #8).
The pairs have now confirmed report by IPNews and speculations from different sources which have been lingering in the corridors of the Capitol Building for over two weeks.
The two lawmakers, who are members of the House Leadership, made the confirmation through a recent text message as well as a message posted on social media Facebook.
Rep. Cllr. Koffa, a lawyer by profession, said: “Legislative work is never done whenever we are the self-described breaks. So whenever the national need arises, we have to respond. In this case, there are critical economic issues to address.”
For Rep. Gray, “Resumption of work on November 18, 2019, is our first priority.”
The House’s Acting Chairman on Executive made the pronouncement first on OK FM before posting it on Facebook.
Both executive members of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) confirmed the rumors after a three-hour Monday talk show with Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, who said that President George Weah’s government wants to print ‘new money’ with Crane Currency.
Min. Tweah said Crane Currency can only print money for the country between now to December.
But in a recent publication by the Independent Probe Newspaper, Crane Currency threatened a full legal suit against the government of Liberia, if any attempt is made in hiring another firm to print its new currency.
It may be recorded, Unimpeachable sources at Crane Currency Printing Company in Sweden informed the Independent Probe Newspaper (IPNews),in September 2019, that Crane Currency has been excluded formal future money printing contracts with the government of Liberia following a scandal involving USD 150 million in illicitly printed bank notes, which was amplified by Finance Minister Tweah to members of the Liberian Senate at an Executive Session.
According to the information gathered by IPNews, Samuel Tweah told Senators that the new bank notes will be printed to replace all notes currently in circulation, which could include those that were allegedly fraudulently printed by Crane Currency.
The scandal which involves approximately 16 billion in local currency was printed illicitly by Crane Currency and then funneled back into the Liberian economy. A number of senior government officials, including members of the Central Bank of Liberia are facing charges of economic sabotage, theft of property, criminal conspiracy, facilitation, and solicitation. An additional charge of money laundering was added earlier this month. Nathaniel Patry, Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia, said that so far no decision has been made on who will print the new bank notes.
When Crane Currency was contacted from its base in Malta for their reaction to the news that their business was unwelcome in Liberia, Crane responded: ‘We do not comment about our customers or potential customers’. Crane stated.
It may further be recorded last March, Crane Currency was accused of receiving over 700,000 for printing additional Liberian dollar bank notes, over and above what had been contracted.
Crane Currency has been rocked into ‘one of the biggest financial scandals in the history of Liberia’. An excerpt from the report by the Liberian President’s investigation Team states that ‘Crane was a party to two contracts to print Liberian dollars, including the illicit funds, and that in 2016 it ‘knowingly and willfully conspired with officials of the CBL to defraud the government of Liberia’.
In a previous responds Crane Currency insisted it had ‘operated in full compliance with the law’, adding that it ‘rejects completely any allegation of wrongdoing’.
Now, House Speaker Dr. Bhofal Chambers has confirmed that members of the 54rd Legislature will shortly be resuming normal Legislative Works on Capitol Hill.
Deputy Presidential Spokesman Smith Toby told the OK Conversation last week that President Weah has writing members of the 54th Legislature to return from their annual legislative break to deliberate on issues of national urgency.
Speaking to legislative reporters Monday Speaker Chambers confirmed that President George Weah has written that August body requesting an additional sitting which will commence on the 18th of this month of November.
Speaker chambers however did not confirmed as to whether the concerns for salary payment of his colleagues have been addressed, as some members of the 54th legislature are demanding payment of their arrears before acting on the president request.
But unimpeachable sources at both the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and Capitol Hill, has confirmed that salaries and allowances , including gasoline for lawmakers are been dispatched to each Lawmaker in anticipation of their return just in a week’s time.
Speaking chambers spoke to legislative reporters Monday following a visit of the China delegation of the National People’s Congress to members of the 54th National Legislature.
This article was brought to you by the project: “Transparency and Accountability in the Public Sector”, with focus: “Following the Money”, And support from OSIWA
