By Grace Q. Bryant
Employees of the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) staged a protest yesterday calling for the immediate dismissal of Executive Director Mr. Patrick Worzi and his two deputies amid serious corruption allegations.
The demonstration, led by Daniel Harris Jackson, a former candidate for Grand Bassa County District 2 and a contractor with the LRRRC, has heightened scrutiny on the organization’s leadership.
In an exclusive interview at the headquarters of the LRRRC, Jackson accused Worzi and his deputies of manipulating refugee lists for personal gain.
He presented several documents, including bank slips and checks, claiming that the Executive Director had added “ghost names” to the returnees’ list from Ghana to siphon funds for his own benefit.
“Imagine the Executive Director placing ghost names on the refugees’ list and taking money for their personal interests. This is wrong and undermines the mission of our government,” Jackson stated.
Jackson urged President Joseph Boakai to act swiftly, demanding the dismissal of Worzi and his deputies and calling for an immediate investigation.
He noted that Worzi had acknowledged the existence of ghost names during a recent appearance on the state radio’s Super Morning Show, attributing the issue to his Deputy Director for Operations.
“If the ghost names were placed there by his deputy, then who authorized the payments? Who approved them? That’s where accountability lies,” Jackson argued.
He provided evidence indicating that Worzi had used a contractor, Jereline Kolleh, to withdraw millions of U.S. dollars from Eco-Bank and the Central Bank, claiming these funds were diverted to “ghost accounts” for personal use.
Jackson presented documents showing that Lawrence Fahnbulleh, Director for Press and Public Affairs at the Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs, and Tourism (MICAT), received illicit funds amounting to over L$150,000 and US$900.
Jackson claims to possess checks explicitly naming Fahnbulleh as the recipient of these funds, which he asserts were improperly obtained, noting that Fahnbulleh is not an employee of the LRRRC, raising further questions about the legitimacy of these transactions.
Jackson presented checks totaling over 1 million Liberian dollars linked to contractor Jeryline Kolleh, allegedly withdrawn from the Central Bank.
The protest underscores growing frustration among LRRRC employees and raises significant concerns about the integrity of the Boakai’s administration.
Jackson expressed disappointment in the government’s handling of corruption within the LRRRC, calling for immediate intervention to restore public trust.
He stressed, “President Boakai’s response to these grave allegations will be crucial in determining the future of the LRRRC and its leadership, especially since refugees returning from Ghana are sleeping on the streets.”
“The people need liberation. We cannot allow this level of corruption to continue. The Boakai’s administration is failing to serve the public interest,” he stressed.
In response to Worzi’s controversial remarks against Deputy Director Richard Hoff, Hoff has firmly denied any involvement in the alleged mismanagement and inclusion of ghost names on official lists.
“I do not know what Mr. Worzi is talking about. The decisions regarding our operations are made by him, not me,” Hoff stated.
Worzi’s claims suggest discrepancies in personnel records at the center, but Hoff emphasized he had no knowledge of any irregularities.
Pundits believe that the war of words which has erupted between Executive Director Worzi and his deputy, Hoff, suggests that the time is ripe for quick intervention by antigraft institutions if the Boakai’s administration is prepared to transition from lip service to actionable service.
