The Center for the Promotion of Intellectual Development (CENPID) along with its offshoot, the Friends of Boakai (FOB), with headquarters opposite each other on Carey Street in central Monrovia, has allegedly suspended their leaderships for corruption.
The leaderships were suspended and an interim government took charge since last month (June), when it became known that said leadership allegedly received US$5,500 from Unity Party (UP) Standard Bearer, Joseph Nyumah Boakai, for the purpose of empowerment during this period of electioneering ahead of the October polls later this year in the country.
According to the report, the money was given to the executives of CENPID and FOB leaderships led by Moderator, Anthony Lander; Board of Directors’ Chairman of CENPID and also Head of FOB, Michel Jones when they and a few others visited the home of the UP torch bearer.
The report said rather than deposit the money into these organizations’ accounts for accountability purposes and to be used for its intended purpose, it was diverted to personal use by the delegation.
Because of the gravity of the allegations, both Lander and Jones, alongside their accomplices, have reportedly been ostracized by their own memberships to the extent that they are hardly seen at their own organizations’ headquarters on Carey Street.
However, in an effort to ascertain the fact of the matter, this paper reached out to CENPID’s Moderator, Anthony Lander and FOB’s Head, Michel Jones, both of who bear the greater responsible having been accused of corruption by their own organizations.
For Lander, he could neither confirm nor deny the report when spoke to this paper vie mobile phone Wednesday, July 5 in Monrovia.
However, he admitted of receiving the US$5, 500 from Boakai when visited his residence in the Rehab Community on Thursday, June 1 but denied report that he and others are personalizing the usage of the money as it is being perceived in the public.
He stated that as far he is concerned, he did not distribute money amongst the delegation of CENPID and FOB that met with Boakai at his residence in June in the Rehab Community on the outskirt of the capitol.
But Lander fell short to state what then becomes of the money since it was not spread amongst the delegates that visited Boakai when the donation was made to the membership.
While Jones claimed he knows nothing or is not aware of any US$5, 500 from Boakai, he therefore said, he could not speak further about as he was on business transactions at a local bank when this paper spoke to him by mobile phone on Wednesday, July 5 in Monrovia.
Commenting on the institutional corruption earlier, Joseph “Joe” Dennis, who has assumed CENPID’s leadership as acting Moderator following the incident said Lander and Jones alongside delegates allegedly publically confessed of their involvement.
He alleged that the confession was made the period under reviewed at FOB headquarters on Carey Street where they were confronted by those who never made the trip but were annoyed from what they heard had transpired or happened thereafter.
Notwithstanding, Dennis said some of those who honestly admitted to the allegation including CENPID’s Secretary General, Samuel Teh and others have begun refunding portion of their shares of the money for which they have collected over US$1, 000 to present.
The CENPID’s acting Moderator could not state whether the two principal accused have returned their portion of money, however, he is of the belief that they shall get there.
Unlike individual corruption, institutional corruption is typically characterized by the absence of a personal commitment to promoting interests exogenous to the purposes of an institution.
