We Stand By The Audit Report Against Corrupt Official

Responding to the letter from the four Ebola management team members, the GAC in a statement described as intimidation and blackmail vowing that it stands by the audit report. The GAC stated that it has observed that some individuals named in the Auditor General’s Report on the National Ebola Trust Fund have made statements intended to undermine the credibility of the Auditor General and the GAC.

Stated the GAC “The Auditor General of the Republic of Liberia, Hon. Yusador S. Gaye, CPA, CGMA wishes to make it categorically clear that she stands by Her Report on the National Ebola Trust Fund”. According to the GAC no amount of intimidation will deter the GAC from performing its constitutional mandate, including fighting corruption.

The General Auditing Commission of Liberia (GAC) in an audit of the National Ebola Trust Fund indicated that there were violations of laws, including the Public Procurement and Commission (PPCC) Act, the Public Financial management Law and other prudent financial procedures.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf set the debate on its way when she declared that the emergency situation at the time warranted expenditures and purchases that did not go through the rigorous PPCC and other processes, even though neighboring Sierra Leone which is still fighting the virus had a similar report released by the Sierra Leone Audit Service which reported lack of supporting documentations for expenditures made on Ebola without public comment from President Ernest B. Koroma.

“The Auditor General also wants to emphasize that no amount of intimidation, blackmail and/or threat will deter the GAC from professionally performing its Constitutional and Statutory Mandate”, the GAC vowed. The AG who stands accused by the four individuals for shifting responsibility on the audit report as stated per the GAC statement that in the midst of the attacks she will continue to fight corruption.

The statement furthered “Hon. Yusador S. Gaye, CPA, CGMA, in the midst of these attacks and insinuations remain committed to promoting accountability and transparency in the use of public resources”.

Fight between auditees and the General auditing commission of Liberia regarding the findings of the audit report is not new as over the years, several government officials have launched stinging attacks against the commission for naming them in the audit report.

President Sirleaf is on record for putting her neck on the line for some of her officials accused of wrongdoings in audit reports. It remains to be seen how far the threats from the four individuals and the challenge by the GAC and the AG that they stand by the audit report will go.

Following the Defense by President Sirleaf, four senior officials of the team that managed the Ebola funding including -Wede Elliott Brownell Deputy Minister for Administration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Tolbert Nyenswah, Head Incident Management System/Deputy Minister for Health Designate (indicted by GAC in 2006/2007and 2007/2008 audit of the Ministry of Health; James Dorbor Jallah, Executive Director, Public Procurement and Concessions Commission and Andre Pope, Head State Owed Enterprises Reporting Unit, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, took exception to the GAC report describing the report as unprofessional.

The four individuals further threatened several actions, including court proceedings against the Auditor General, Gaye after what they described as admittance by the AG that the report was produced by her deputy, Winsley Nanka and subordinate auditors. In response, the GAC in a statement has declared that it stands by its report describing the statements from individuals named in the report as attempts to intimidate and blackmail the Auditor General.

Two members of the Ebola Management team, Nyenswah and Jallah on Wednesday declared that they remain firmed in their 38-page strong worded letter to the Auditor General and will proceed to court when the ultimatum to the AG expires. Jallah and Nyenswah both told the Bumper Show on state radio ELBC that they will pursue all the actions outlined in the communication to the AG to the letter an ensure that all the actions are implemented.

“If you look at the date of the letter, the letter is dated May 13, we intended to have delivered it on May 13 and we were going to give the Auditor General from May 13 to the 18 to respond, because we meant to give her a few days to reflect on it and consider our demands.

Instead, we gave her the letter on Monday, May 18 so we are still giving her the frame of time and we did mention the court action as one of those actions that you saw there, these are courses of actions we do intent to take. We will continue to go ahead with all the different things that we mentioned there until we implement every bit of them it”, said Jallah.

Jalllah and Nyenswah expressed that they are speaking about money spent under what they referred to as the authorization of President Sirleaf and not expenditures made by various agencies in the fight against Ebola.