By Taisiah K. Merfee
Since it was setup in early May this year by President George Weah, the committee investigating the diplomatic passport scandal involving a man identified as Sheik Bassirou Kante, on Thursday, August 11, 2022, said it is untimely to release its findings
Addressing the Ministry of Information regular press briefing on Thursday, August 11, 2022, the head of the presidential committee, Foreign Minister, Dee-Maxwell Kemayah, blamed the delay of the committee’s findings on the absence in Liberia of Mr. Kante, who is the person of interest in the case.
The committee cannot release findings while the investigation is still continuing,” Minister Kemayah said.
President Weah setup the committee to probe the passport scandal upon the receipt in early May this year of an information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, of the United States, informing the Liberian Government that it had found in the possession of Mr. Kante a suspicious document in regards to Liberian diplomatic passport.
“We had to cut short our trip to the Ivory Coast at the time upon receiving the information,” Minister Kemayah further told reporters.
Other members of the presidential committee include, Thomas E. Sawyer, Deputy Foreign Minister for Administration, Cllr. Musa Dean, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Republic of Liberia and the Director of the National Security Agency, NSA.
Minister Kemayah said the committee is being assisted in the investigation by Liberia’s international partners to find a logical conclusion of the matter.
The Foreign Minister said he and other members of the presidential committee are happy that the United States Government through UDAID is giving the committee technical support.
“We are fortunate that the various groups along with the United States Embassy in Monrovia that are helping us with the investigation are in Liberia,” Kemayah added.
He said the committee has less a month to come up with its findings and that they will leave no stone unturned in exposing those involved in the passport scandal. Meanwhile, Liberians, who have spoken on the matter demand that Foreign Minister Kemayah himself needs to be investigated because according to them, Liberia’s diplomatic passports are not issued to individuals without his signature.
