By Bill W. Cooper
House Speaker, Bhofal Chambers in consultation with the House Leadership has constituted a specialized committee to probe the reported corruption allegations at the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-information Services (LISGIS).
Those forming part of the committee include Representatives Edward Karfiah, Chairman, Committee on Public Accounts and Expenditures, and Larry P. Younquoi, Chairman, Committee on Good Governance and Government reform.
Speaker Chambers is expected to name additional lawmakers to form part of the committee this Thursday, June 10, 2022, as the committee is expected to conduct a full-scale investigation into the matter and report to plenary within two weeks.
However, the House’s decision was triggered by claims and counterclaims over the alleged misapplication of funds intended for the successful conduct of the 2022 Digital Housing and Population census across the country.
Recently, the suspended Census Director, Alex Williams on various media platform has been accusing the LISGIS Director General, Francis Wreh and the entire top management of the entity excluding him for allegedly siphoning funds intended for the conduct of the Census.
Appearing before that august body on Tuesday, June 7, Williams reiterated his accusation against the entire managerial team including LISGIS’ Director General, Francis Wreh, the Deputy Director General for Information and Coordination, Wilmot Smith and the Deputy Director General for Administration, Lawrence George for reportedly misapplying funds intended for the successful conduct of the 2022 Digital Housing and Population Census across the country.
Defending his claims further against the LISGIS officials, Mr. Williams attributed the continuous delay of the Census process to the alleged illegal transfers of the huge sums of Untied States dollars from the Census basket funds by the entity’s Director and Deputy Directors.
According to him who is also one of the Deputy Director Generals at LISGIS; out of US$1.8million deposited into the account of LISGIS by Government of Liberia, management could only account for US$700, 000 to the basket fund managed by UNFPA; thereby prompting international partners to withhold their support for the upcoming census.
He added that Wreh and his deputies including George and Smith made series of illegal withdrawals from LISGIS’ account and carried out procurement transactions outside of the Public Procurement Concession Commission (PPCC).
“Mr. Speaker, over the period and prior to my resignation from the Census process, there have also been series of illegal transfers and withdrawals of the Census by Mr. Francis Wreh, Director General and Mr. Wilmot Smith, Deputy Director General, for their personal use, and this act is some the reasons responsible for the continuous delay of the process,” he alleged.
Responding to Mr. Williams’ accusation, LISGIS Director and Deputy Generals, Francis Wreh and Wilmot Smith denied the corruption allegation levied against them thus describing it as “blackmail” intended to ruin both their reputations as well as undermine the Census process.
The LISGIS DG in a more relaxed tone further informed that body that the conduct of the 2022 Census is well on course, and is only awaiting a joint resolution from both the Executive and Legislative Branches of government to set up a new date for the conduct of the process.
“Mr. Speaker and members of this body, there is no corruption at LISGIS as claimed by Mr. Williams. In fact, he has since been suspended by management from the Census process due to his unethical behavior which seeks to undermine the census process,” Director Wreh intimated.
“So, said allegation coming should not be taken seriously by this body or the citizenry because Mr. Williams’s intention is just to undermine LISGIS Census activities on grounds that he was suspended by us or reason best known to him,” Director Wreh stated.
He further disclosed that the Liberian Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has now taken siege of the matter and an active investigation is now ongoing to ascertain facts surrounding the allegation, adding, “And so, in the soonest possible time, the LACC findings will be out for the public to know the facts.”
In buttressing his boss’ assertion, LISGIS Deputy Director General, Wilmot Smith stated, “Let’s categorically state that the rumors by Mr. Williams are false, misleading and untrue and I can clearly say that the conduct of the Census is on course.”
“Mr. Speaker, there was no money siphoned and that the Government through LISGIS has deposited more than US$3 million to the census basket fund managed by UNFPA, and the partners including the World Bank, UNFPA and the Swedish Government are all supporting the process, and with that, we can assure you that the census will be conducted this year,” Mr. Smith said.
