The Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA), says its attention is drawn to a recent pseudo-social media post on Facebook as well as inquiries from some media institutions claiming that its Comptroller was “Wanted” for absconding from the country after withdrawing over US$150,000 from the entity’s account.
On June 22, 2022, a Facebook publication maliciously and misleadingly publish that Comptroller Steve N. Bundor in collaboration with the Managing Director withdrew from the authority’s GT Bank account, US$100 up to $250,000 and that Mr. Bundor has since fled the country.
“We want to make it emphatically clear that such erroneous information recently published on Facebook concerning the Comptroller fleeing the country with such an amount, is reckless, misleading, and unfortunate,” the LMHRA Management clarified.
“We like to note in clearer terms that Mr. Bundor did leave the country for some personal family engagement but has since returned to Liberia and is showing up for work. Also, we like to state that the accounts of the authority are intact and there was no withdrawal whatsoever as maliciously published by those who are bent on tarnishing the high-earned reputations of the Managing Director and the Comptroller for their selfish motives,” the management reiterated.
The management through its communications unit stated that at no time, did the LMHRA Comptroller nor the Managing Director, Madam Keturah C. Smith-Chineh, ever illegally withdrew any money from the LMHRA’s account as indicated in the pseudo-Facebook publication.
Hence, “we challenged those behind such malicious and blatant lies to make available the bank withdrawal slip (s) and the account number as well as the date and times of such withdrawal as claimed by these agent provocateurs and detractors,” it stated.
The LMHRA insists that activities of the authority are open for public scrutiny, however, we encouraged the public to ascertain any information they seek from the institution, as there is nothing to hide and the workings of the LMHRA are public.
“We call on those bent on misleading the public for their selfish aggrandizement or malicious motives, whatsoever, to desist, as the LMHRA will not hesitate to take legal recourse under the law for maligning the characters of individuals and as well bringing the authority to the public disrepute,” the management concluded.
