The Financial Intelligence Unit of Liberia (FIU) has dismissed two employees for tipping off and illegally stealing classified information for personal gains.
The action on the part of the employees is in violation of section 67.13 of the FIU Act of 2012 and section 6.7.6 of the Human Resources Hand Book of the FIU, the Code of Conduct and Statement of Confidentiality.
According to the FIU, Mr. Cooper Leamah’s tipoff to his boss for over 10 years, destroyed evidence and rendered the investigation meaningless. Mr. Cooper was a senior member of the FIU and signed on to the code of conduct of the FIU, did not disclose such conflict of interest; with the only aim of protecting his boss and stalling the investigation which violates blatantly the code of conduct to which he signed on.
His action of willful blindness has not only undermined the investigation since, but has rendered the entire investigation meaningless, as evidences were tampered with and in some instances not seen.
The Unit said the compliance officer at the concerned institution clearly stated that Cooper Leamah undermined the investigation by his inaction.
They institution further said when Mr. Leamah managed the STRs, it was observed that he intentionally deleted two STRs filed by a local bank in favor of personal gains even after the local bank reached out to him to follow up and he responded to the bank that “You have filed and you have nothing with it.”
The FIU further stated that Mr. Goba was seen illegally taking sensitive information from the FIU for personal gains and in some instances conducting investigation on individuals for personal gains, when such investigation was never sanctioned by the office of the Director or the Head of Legal and Analysis.
“It was observed that Mr. Goba was conducting these illegal investigations and reporting to people outside of the FIU that was without the consent of the Director only for personal gains and to cast slur on the image and character of reputable individuals in society using his employment with the FIU,” the institution said.
After Mr. Goba was discovered, the Director put in control to prevent the illegal and unauthorized information by disabling USB port on every computer within the Unit including the computer assigned to Mr. Goba.
With the control put in place by the Director to protect the integrity of the information at the FIU, Mr. Goba openly and angrily insulted the Director in the presence of the staff for putting in control that which prevents Goba and any other staff from stealing classified information for personal gains.
In keeping with the powers of the Director, Goba was informed that he will be transferred from the Analysis’s department since he was compromised with huge potential of reputational risk to the FIU. Mr. Goba immediately went on a blackmail spree after hearing about his removal where he put personal gains over ethics, professionalism and the laws governing his employment at the FIU.
In violation of section 67.13 and the code of conduct of the FIU, Goba willfully discussed an STR worked on; internally and externally with the intent to blackmail the Director from removing him from the Unit for doing what is unlawful thus, bringing reputational risk to the institution.
“Based on this blatant violation for personal gains and reputational risk to the FIU, the FIU in keeping with section 67.13 of the Financial Intelligence Unit Act of 2012, will send a referral to the Ministry of Justice since the violation hinges on second degree felony,” the Unit expressed.
Meanwhile, the general public is advised not to do business in the name of the FIU with the two dismissed staff.
