-As “30% of Fund” Allegedly Stolen from Account

 IPNEWS – As President George Manneh Weah’s Administration draws closer to its end in January 2024, some members of the President’s ‘kitchen’ cabinet have become to lately do what they think they can, aimed at having a ‘safe face’ before the public.

While a very small number of them did perform their tasks with diligence, there are countless records of some, who didn’t do that much good by the people. Some of these officials did some excesses in their positions and thought that there was not going to be a ‘tomorrow’.

While prima facie are yet to surface showing that the Director of the Presidential and VVIP’s bodyguards, Mr. Trokon Roberts, personally did some excesses, he has, however, began to set some records straight so as not to leave dents on his stewardship during the discharge of duties as the President’s main bodyguard.

He called a press conference Wednesday, November 30, to talk about the role his administration has so far played, as it relates to the mismanagement surrounding the Executive Protection Service (EPS) Employees Development Fund.

Officer Roberts began his press engagement with words that seem to suggest that he or the EPS has not been doing the right thing but are only trying to fix things now “at this crucial time in Liberia.” He says: “At this crucial time in Liberia, it’s very unique that we do the right thing here.”

After he had explained his side as it relates to how the Fund was handled, he also closed his opening remarks with these comments: “The reason why I called you today is, we are transitioning and some of us, we have distinct characters. I am not going to leave anything oblique and then go away and the noise be behind me.”

Background of the Fund

In June 2018, over 800 agents of the EPS adopted a constitution under the banner “Executive Protection Service Employees’ Development Fund” to afford them the opportunities to accumulate saving and create credit facilities for themselves, from which they can obtain loans for productive and provident purposes at a fair interest rate of 5%.

The Fund was managed by a team of five persons and its activities were being monitored by a team of three Board Members as Observers and Auditors.

Those who headed the management team were: James Helb (Chairman), Alex Togba (Co-Chair), Tony Morris (Credit Manager), James Paye (Financial Secretary) and Joseph Weah (General Secretary). The Board members were: Esther P. Chea (Chairperson), Emmanuel Wesseh and Stephen Morgan.

Until the time the time a freeze was placed on the Fund’s operation few months ago, more than US$500,000 had been deposited in its account at the United Bank for Africa (UBA). The Fund Account # is: 53010550002258 with title: EPS Employees Development Fund.

It is reported that James Helb, who was the chairman, absconded the country after it was established that over US$200,000 had been “illegally and surreptitiously withdrawn from the account”. Helb was the signatory A, while Alex Togba and James Paye were the remaining two signatories.

From the Fund’s establishment in 2018, US$20 was mandatorily deducted from the salaries of each service personnel and placed into this account for “rainy” day.

Back to EPS Boss

Even though documents show that the Fund was setup back in 2018, Roberts told the press conference that “this thing was organized sometime June 2021.” According to him, it became clear in the same year that something was amiss with the Fund. Whether his administration brought enough actions to bear so as to do all before now to get the matter resolved, remains to be seen. However, in the press conference on Wednesday, he did all he could to clean his administration’s ‘hands’ of the crumbs from the corruption that has now engulfed his administration as it relates to those service men and women’s hard-earned salaries that were deducted.

He stressed: “They have their set bylaws and constitution. These laws state that the administration of the EPS has no direct impact on the day-to-day management of the Fund.” According to him, for being who he is, it was unique for him.

Director Roberts said what led to unearthing the mismanagement of the Fund was he had “tested the mechanism of the drive” by crediting US$10K, which he said he paid back over time. He didn’t provide documentation to his claim during the press conference.

He narrated that he kept servicing the loan he had taken and it just occurred to him that he was finishing and one day he called the head of the process to find when he would have finished paying. “He told me, ‘Chief, you will finish paying this month.’ I was annoyed with myself for not checking. So, when he left, I called for an audit.”

In addition to the audit, Director Roberts put a stop to the deduction and and put a freeze on the account. According to him, when discrepancies were noticed, he also contacted the police, notified the bank and contacted the Financial Intelligence Agency. All these actions were taken in 2021 but the “cookies jar” still remained opened somehow.

Audit

The audit was conducted by Jeremiah M. Gbellay, Sr and report submitted to Director Roberts on November 18, 2021, more than two years ago.

The audit uncovered that US$55,000 was withdrawn from the account by Helb unknown to the Board and shareholders for the purchase of land for agents of the EPS and identified other administrative lapses on the part of the administration, among others.

There are reports that since the audit was conducted, the Fund’s Board has been requesting Roberts to submit copies in order to inform all shareholders about the findings and outcome of the investigation and he is yet to do so.

During the Q & A session, one journalist requested him to provide journalists copies of the audit to which he said he could do later as no copy was on him at that moment. No copy was provided to the particular journalist, who had made the request, neither was copies given to others.

Remaining Money in Account Was Divided

Director Roberts disclosed that at some point, it was established that at least 70% of the Fund was still in the account at UBA. That amount, which was US$390,786 according to Auditor Gbellay, apportioned to each of those service officers.

And, it is now the outstanding 30% of the Fund, which one local newspaper puts at a little over US$167,000.

Police Officer Prince Mulbah

Officer Roberts was joined at the press conference by the Deputy Inspector General of Police for Criminal Investigation, Intelligence and Interpol Affairs, Mr. Prince B. Mulbah.

Roberts introduced Mulbah as being the one who has been investigating the alleged criminal act associated with the Fund.

Office Mulbah explained what he has done so far in the matter, including how he has tried to get Helb extracted or brought back from Ghana, where they say he is, to answer to the alleged crime. But all their efforts so far have proven futile. While he alluded to Helb being one step ahead of them, security-wise, he, however, assured that he is going to do all it takes to bring the matter to logical conclusion. He added: “Because my very self, as long as I am investigating, I have no relief until I solve the case.”