President Joseph Boakai has mandated the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to conduct a comprehensive audit of the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs (MOS), as part of his administration’s anti-graft drive.
The audit, according to an Executive Mansion release, is also part of the Boakai’s administration’s commitment to fighting corruption and promoting transparency and accountability in the public sector across Liberia.
The move to audit the Ministry of State comes in the wake of a startling revelation from the MoS Deputy Minister for Administration, Atty. Cornelia Kruah-Togba, accusing the administration of former President George Weah of bloating the Ministry’s payroll.
Atty. Kruah-Togba, speaking during her confirmation hearing, said it has been discovered that over 730 non-civil servants’ names were on a supplementary payroll at the entity following an assessment conducted by the management team.
According to her, such payroll was privately managed by former Finance Minister, Samuel Tweah, and the Ministry of State itself, during the CDC regime.
She noted that despite such a huge financial burden on the Ministry, the institution has 385 employees recognized by the Civil Service Agency (CSA) as legitimate staff, plus over 730 unrecognized employees, pushing the total staff to over 1,000.
Atty. Kruah-Togba further disclosed that as a result of the over 730 extra employees, the Ministry has spent over US$2.7m annually only on salary.
But, at a meeting held Monday, March 20, 2024, at the Executive Mansion, officials from the GAC and the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs discussed the audit process, with Deputy Minister Kruah Togba stating that the audit is aimed at ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in the Ministry’s affairs.
For his part, Liberia’s Auditor General, P. Garswa Jackson, responding to the President’s mandate, said the Commission will begin with a System Audit since the MoS has not been audited for a long time in years.
He explained that the audit will focus on budget management, cash management, procurement procedures, and other areas, and expressed hope that said process becomes an ongoing process since the Ministry has not been audited for such a long time.
Meanwhile, the Commission plans to send out engagement communication by March 27, specifying the audit period, scope, and commencement date, as the GAC’s report on findings is expected within a month.
