By Festus Poquie
The Ministry of Justice has for the first time opened investigation into the Senate finances, nearly two years after audit of the General Auditing Commission revealed senators misappropriated over $35 million through budget manipulation.
Several top-ranking senators – current and former could face charges should the probe is pursued to determine accountability of taxpayers’ money that may have landed in private pockets.
The following Senators – Albert Chie, Prince Moye, Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence and ex-Senator Morris Saytumah were in charge of the Senate spending during the audited period.
As first step, prosecutors are seeking financial documents through the court from the Senate regarding a chain of large-scale transactions that state auditors have deemed highly questionable.
In response, Senators have deflected responsibility of the unaccountable millions to the management team of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning although Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga accepted the audit outcome when she replied to the Auditor General’s management letter.
In an apparent effort to use its power to foil the inquest, the Attorney General has been summoned to explain why he’s looking into the matter.
In late 2024, The General Auditing Commission review of the Senate financial management system and accounting processes shows senators collected millions from state coffers through bogus budget lines and awarded contracts outside procurement laws to unknown people.
About $4.2 million United States dollars was paid for goods and services without contract and in most instances, payments were made to staff and not vendors. In one scenario check valued more than half a million United States dollars was paid to single individual.
Between 2019 and 2023, Senate spent $28.9 million in excess of aggregate approved budget of $88.9 million. Spending in excess of approved budget may lead to misappropriation of public fund, Auditor General Garswa Jackson said.
Covering the period ended March 31, 2024, the Auditor General’s report for the first time shade light on how lawmakers effect fraud in the budget process, hiding revenue for personal gains.
In the case of the Senate, they executed the scheme through duplicated budget lines identified as “grants” and “operational expense.”
The budget of the Liberian Senate for the 2023 fiscal period contained the budget line US$2,583, 601. There was no evidence this money was spent, the auditors observed.
“Payment made from the budget line grant were also for salaries, operational expense, distributions of reports, which were already budgeted under other lines items.
Similarly, $4.8 million was spent on “operational expense” with no evidence of procedure on expenditure but used on same purpose as committees hearing, printing of reports, amongst others.
“We observed the total amount for operational expense in the fiscal outrun produced by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for the fiscal year ended December 2022 was US$7,730,897, whereas the total amount reported in the Senate IFMIS (Integrity Financial Management Information System) ledger was US$15, 242, 090, leaving an unexplained variance oUS$7, 511, 193,” the audited revealed.
The Auditor General issued adverse opinion on the financial records. This means the Senate failed the audit in totality with implication that its financial records are misstated, misrepresented and do not adequately reflect its financial performance.
The senate management team has conceded to all the audit findings.
“In light of the findings and recommendations from the Auditing Commission, the Liberian Senate will adopt series of financial policies, procedures and internal controls that are essential to enhance transparency, accountability and the overall effectiveness of our financial and governance operations,” Senate Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence said in response to the GAC special audit.
