Recently the government of Liberia arrested former Foreign Minister Maxwell Kemayah, former General Services Agency (GSA) Director General and ex-Acting Monrovia City Mayor Mary Broh, and National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Executive Director Henry O. Williams in connection with the alleged theft of over 25,000 bags of rice donated by the Saudi government to Liberia.
The rice, part of a 29,412-bag consignment valued at US$425,918, was intended for disaster victims but was allegedly diverted “for personal and political benefits,” according to Joseph Daniel, Communications Director of the Special Taskforce investigating the case.
Daniel confirmed that Kemayah, Broh, and Williams are facing charges including theft of property, economic sabotage, and misuse of office. He said the arrests follow months of investigations, culminating in the first indictment issued by the court.
“They held secret meetings and distributed the rice with no documentation,” Daniel alleged. “This is just the beginning–more arrests will follow as the taskforce concludes investigations into at least 17 related cases.”
The rice was donated to Liberia in April 2023 through King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center and was consigned to the National Disaster Management Agency for distribution toisaster-affected communities.
The task force says the arrests represent a significant development in the government’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption and restore public trust, particularly in the management of humanitarian aid.
Now, in the wake of a pending prosecution, former foreign Minister Kemayah is again at the center of a missing 2.5 million Saudi Arabia Assistance package.
Two leaked letters roaming the Liberian media now reveal that the Government of Liberia under ex-football Icon former President George Weah made a formal request to the Government of Saudi Arabia for a US$2.5 million assistance package.
The communication details that in 2022, the Saudi Government approved the request and disbursed said amount to Liberia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs intended for food aid and the restoration of the foreign ministry’s building.
In two separate letters dated September 22, 2022 and November 14, 2022 respectively, the Saudi Arabian government provided US$500,000 for food aid and US$2 million for the restoration of the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Amid a major scandal of 29,412 bags of rice being allegedly stolen, there is growing public outcry for increased scrutiny and accountability of financial transactions between the Government of Saudi Arabia and the Government of Liberia under the previous administration.
The leaked letter stated, “The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Abidjan presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia and has the honor to inform it that the requests of Liberia have been approved.”
Further, the letter specifically asserted, “the amount of US$2.500,000 will be disbursed for the government, and divided as follows: The amount of US$500,000 for food aids and US$2,000,000 for the restoration of the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
However, it remains unclear as to whether or not the US$2.5 million provided by Saudi Arabia was used to provide financial assistance to disaster victims. Courtesy of Verity Newspaper
