By: Peter Dennis
dennisrealone@gmail.com

An audio in the possession of the Independent Probe Newspaper, three minutes, twenty-six seconds, has revealed that Paulette Findley and Tokpah conspired to steal the institution’s property (generator).

Looting of the entity’s assets has become widespread since Paulette Findley, assumed the helm of CARI last year. Two months ago, a 50 KVA generator reportedly owned by CARI was discovered by some staff of the entity in a compound in Gbarnga.

The discovery of the generator provoked an investigation by the Crimes Services Department of the Liberia National Police after employees accused David P. Tokpa of being responsible for the disappearance of the generator.

Police later charged Tokpah as the main suspect in a theft of property case involving three employees – Anthony Taplah, an agriculture engineer and the chief security at CARI, Mr. Sam Lewis.

According to the police, Tokpah, who was placed behind bars at the Headquarters of the Liberia National Police in Gbarnga, admitted to removing the generator from CARI compound, but couldn’t state where he took it.

Paulette Findley, in the audio, mandated Tokpah to quickly remove the generator from CARI compound and take it to the vendor whom David P. Tokpa had identified.

“You people should take the generator from the compound and you people should do it quick because Nagbe (the institution’s finance officer) mother is sick.”

In the audio, Findley recommended to Tokpah to give the head of the General Service Agency in Bong County one of the institution’s generators as a means of buying his silence before they begin selling items she and Tokpah have earmarked.

But Tokpah, in the audio, disagreed with Findley and suggested to Findley to give the GSA man (Nagbe) US$200.00 instead of one generator. “Oldma, under this sun here, stealing is stealing. For the fact that he ate US$200 every one of us stole,” Tokpah said in the audio that has gone viral in the county.

Also, in the audio, Findley and Tokpah were heard celebrating the dismissal of the former director of the fishery department at CARI, Mr. Nykoi Jomah.

Jomah was dismissed for fraudulently withdrawing LD$ 10,000 from the institution’s account.

Police charged and sent Jomah to court on allegations of forgery, theft of property and misapplication of entrusted property but the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Gbarnga in May 2020 dismissed the case against Jomah.

Findley, in the audio, said her stance on Jomah has put fear in some workers of the entity. “Haha, Haha, David Tokpah, you know what? My driver said “oldma, people are saying since you removed Jomah from CARI, people really afraid of you. Soon they saw you coming, they started running to go on the field.

They saw Jomah as their strong man and they thought he would have overpowered me, but since I removed him, they have gotten afraid of me,” Findley is heard explaining to Mr. David Tokpa in the leaked audio.

David P. Tokpa, in response, said he warned Jomah to be mindful with Findley because of her connections she has with the executive.

“I told him that the place the oldma (Paulette Findley and I na go) you know people, oo, but you can’t fight that woman and win.”

Both OIC Madam Paulette Findley and Mr. David P. Tokpa have refused to respond to calls and text messages sent to them regarding the leaked audio.

In March, the administration of CARI announced that its controller, Enson Joe Amara, a “B” signatory to the voucher allegedly escaped with over 50 thousand United States Dollars.

Since the ascendency of Madam Paulette Findley, the Central Agriculture Research Institute has been marred by several corruption sagas instead of its research goal.

Several casual laborers including researchers at the Central Agriculture Research Institute CARI said since the appointment of Madam Paulette Findley as Officer in Charge, the institute has lost its integrity.

They also call on the government Liberia to quickly intervene in order to save the research institute image.

“Criminal activities at the institution is well planned and meets the approval of the head, Madam Paulette Findley” they said.