IPNEWS: Former Minister of Posts and Telecommunications Cooper Kruah, has rejected current shareholding in the University Forest Company (UFC).
In an exclusive interview with the authoritative Independent Probe Newspaper, Cllr. Kruah, stated that even though had a previous share of 5% he relished his share since 2019, upon being appointed by President George Weah.
Ex-Minister Kruah acknowledged the presence of UFC in his native hometown in Nimba County, however, this company has been nonfunctional for nearly three years.
He termed the Newspaper publication as inaccurate and calls on Media houses to do more facts checking.
Early May 2023, President George Weah dismissed Cllr Copper Kruah as Minister of Posts and Telecommunications after attending a Unity Party rally.
Cllr. Kruah’s reaction comes a day following a publication in the Daily Newspaper captioned: “Ex-Minister Leaves Government with a Trail of Illegal Acts”
These offenses range from a conflict of interest to an unlawful extraction of minerals and timber in his hometown of Nimba County. The acts violate the Liberian Constitution, the Code of Conduct for Public Officials, the National Forestry Reform Law and the Minerals and Mining Law of 2000.
UFC was established on February 9, 1986. Edward Slangar, a former presidential advisor, holds 10 percent. Jim Kyung follows with 70 percent. Naranyan Vasnani, a foreign national, holds five percent. And Cooper Kruah the remaining five percent, according to the company’s legal documents at the Liberian Business Registry.
President Weah appointed Kruah in February 2018 and was confirmed by the Senate in August 2018. However, Kruah did not relinquish his shares or take other legal actions to avoid a conflict of interest.
UFC would go on to have more than a dozen mining licenses and a logging contract in Nimba and Grand Bassa, while Kruah served as the Postmaster General of the Republic of Liberia.
