IPNews-Monrovia: Controversies has ensued over a leaked press released published by the Independent Probe Newspaper, involving some top former government of Liberia officials.

In a swift reaction to the article, many of those listed on the leaked press released for prosecution refuted claims that they illegally stolen government money.

One of those mentioned, former Managing Director of the Roberts International Airport,-RIA, Wil Bako Freeman.

Freeman challenged the government to come clear with any facts linking him to illegally taking monies from the RIA while he served as Managing Director.

Bako Freeman stated that he is not taking kindly the repeated publications of his named into financial crime.

It may recalled,in communication to Justice Minister and Attorney General, Counselor Frank Musah Dean , Bako Freeman demanded apology and retraction for wrongfully including his name in a list of persons of interest for possible indictment for unaccounted for funds without conducting a proper investigation into the matter.

In a communication dated June 24th, 2019, and addressed to Minister Musah Dean, signed by both Messrs. Wil Bako Freeman, Former Managing Director, Liberia Airport Authority-LAA, a copy of which is in the possession of the Independent Probe Newspaper, wrote the Minister of Justice, to express his displeasure at the way the situation has been handled and stated that “the situation has the propensity of undermining his hard earned reputation and credibility cultivated over many years.

The letter to Justice Minister, Musah Dean read: “Dear Minister Dean: We bring you compliments and wish to inform that our attention was brought to publications in several local dailies including “The Analyst” of June 19, 2019 and that of the Frontpage Africa Newspaper of June 21, 2019 regarding findings in audit reports that published names of the Managing Director and some statutory members of the Board of Directors under Roberts International Airport (should be Liberia Airport Authority (LAA)).

“The articles listed 2 amounts US $76, 911.42 and tUS $26,811,881.42 respectively, without any context or further explanation on what these amounts were supposed to represent .”

Bako Freeman argued that they were never given notice of an audit engagement to have afforded them the opportunity to respond to what is being viewed as a purported audit report.

“In keeping with basic audit procedures, individuals and institutions should have been given notice of an audit engagement and afforded an opportunity to respond, obviating the reputational harm caused by publishing our names on claims that have no basis in fact.

“We wish to state here emphatically for the record that the Management of the Liberia Airport Authority and Statutory Board members listed have not been given notice these were issues raised in an audit or were given the opportunity for our review and/or comment.

“However, through our own investigation to provide clarity on these amounts, the amount of US $76, 911.42 refers to Board fees for statutory members of the Liberia Airport Authority Board, while the amount of US $26,811,881.42 refers to an accounting adjustment requested to be made to the RETAINED EARNINGS entry in the balance sheet for 2016 ($13,044,084) and 2017 ($13,690,886) of the Liberia Airport Authority. “ the communication to Justice Minister Dean read.

“The amount in the “list” refers to board fees received by Statutory members. In 2015, the then Attorney General, Counselor Benedict Sannoh, acting in his statutory capacity, addressed this issue in response to a request for clarification from the Ministry Finance and SOEs in a memo “Payment of Board Fees to Statutory Members of the Board of Directors of Public Corporations” dated August 10, 2015. The legal opinion concluded that the receipt of Board fees by statutory members was not a violation of the Code of Conduct section 9.10.

The opinion from then Minister Sannoh states:

1. There is no conflict of interest as defined by the Code of Conduct when a Public Official serves on a board of directors of a public corporation where such service does not conflict with the public official’s principal employment.
2. Payment and receipt of Board fees do not qualify as “Receipt of Double Emoluments” as defined and contemplated under Section 9.10 of the Code of Conduct.
3. The payment of board fees and sitting fees are not “salaries” for purposes of the prohibition against the receipt of double emoluments and the Code of Conduct does not prohibit the payment or receipt of board or sitting fees.
4. Until at such time that the payment of board fee or a receipt thereof by statutory members of the boards of public corporations is expressly prohibited by the statute, the practice should continue, as it serves as a policy tool …” The he contended.
In further arguments, both Freeman and Moore stated that their actions were in line with precedents of the Honorable Supreme Court ruling of involving c. Abayomi Cassell, in 1961.

The amount of approximately $26.8 million refers to an accounting adjustment requested to be made to the RETAINED EARNINGS entry in the balance sheet for 2016 ($13,044,084) and 2017 ($13,690,886) of the Liberia Airport Authority (as seen in the attached audit recommendation) and has absolutely NOTHING to do with unaccounted for money. This is a simple accounting recommendation that if taken the time to understand, anyone would understand that the amount being requested to be adjusted is the retained earnings amount for 2017 ($13,690,886), which is the final accumulated amount and NOT an addition of years 2016 and 2017.

To make an allegation of unaccounted for money due to an audit finding that requested an accounting adjustment to the RETAINED EARNINGS account on the balance sheet of the Liberia Airport Authority is extremely careless and callous. This careless and unsubstantiated allegation without ANY basis in fact (as seen on the attached actual audit recommendation) has the propensity to baselessly tarnish our reputations by asking us to clarify an amount of $26 million, which is NOT unaccounted for or was even suggested in the GAC audit report.

All of this information is easily available and could have been readily obtained with a request for information to the Liberia Airport Authority or the individuals listed.

Clarification/Explanation could have even been received from the GAC as to what the audit finding meant if there was a lack of understanding of the concept of RETAINED EARNINGS.

Upon verification of the clarification provided here, we would expect the Ministry of Justice to publish an unqualified retraction and apology in the same Daily Analyst and Frontpage Africa Newspapers clarifying that our names should never have been published. We anticipate and expect that same will be given the same prominence as the original publication.