IPNEWS: FIU Liberia, It has been nearly three months since President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., suspended with immediate effect, Stanley Ford, Director General of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) for allegations of financial and other malpractices at the institution.
The President stated that there would be no tolerance for any form of malpractice and directed the Ministry of Justice to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
The Liberian leader urged Mr. Ford to submit himself to the investigation and cooperate fully to make sure that the matter is resolved expeditiously.
As the investigation gets underway, there are unspeakable revelations which exposes hidden collusion of deception.
In a joint investigation, the authoritative Independent Probe Newspaper with its affiliate the ‘Nation Times’ uncover in a leaked Whatsapp transcript clusters of malice targeted at suspended Director General Stanley Ford for final destruction.
The joint investigation traces how former Director General of the Financial Intelligent Unit (now Financial Intelligent Agency), Edwin W. Harris, now serving as Director General for the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), tried to implicate with double-face suspended FIA Boss Stanley Ford.
The WhatsApp communication shared with several high-profile personalities including cabinet Ministers, members of the Legislature, and Commissioner of integrity institutions under the disguise of “Concerned Staff” in contravention of several secrecy oath taken as required by law creating the Financial Intelligent Agency.
the double-face swapped came on the back of a major stakeholders meeting f the Anti-Money Laundering/Countering Financing Terrorism (AML/CFT) to finally deliberate Liberia’s second round of mutual evaluation report which is pivotal to Liberia readmittance into the International Anti-money Laundering & Counterfeiting Taskforce.
This meeting brings together stakeholders annually to evaluate strategic measures put in place by member countries and their relevant institutions to checkmate member state obligation in battling money laundering.
Except from Edwin W. Harris WhatsApp transcript reads: “I write this confidential memo to draw your attention to a potential reputational risk the country may face if immediate action is not taken to avert this reputational risk”. He continues, “Few powerful countries are pushing for blacklisting which will not be good for our jurisdiction especially in an election year”. Edwin intones that the country will be blacklisted if one condition is not met: “Why I’m pushing to avert this blacklist, the Director of the FIA has created another damaging mistake maybe intentional or out of ignorance. He has brought back at the FIA the staff that were fired for stealing information in contravention of section 67;5(b) of the FIA of 2022.”
It can be recalled that the two staff were arbitrarily dismissed for several reasons. They challenged their dismissal and insisted they did nothing wrong. The two staffs, Amos T. Goba and Cooper Leamah II were seen and heard on several live talk shows, newspapers, and radio stations calling on and pleading with the Ministry of Justice, National Security Agency (NSA), Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and others to investigate them because their dismissal was unlawful and based on malice and hate for reasons unknown to them. The Ministry of Justice commenced the investigation into Edwin/FIU allegations and dismissal of the two staff, but Edwin/FIU refused to provide investigation reports and evidence against their dismissal. The pair were acquitted of any wrongdoing and cleared by the Ministry of Labor. They have since returned to work and filed a 2.5 million damage action against Edwin Harris.
It remains unclear, whether or not this memo is in relations between Mr. Edwin W. Harris, GIABA Director General, under the disguise of a ‘concerned Staff’.
Impact of the Undercover Memo For Liberia
The action by Edwin W. Harris, in is capacity as GIABA, Director General to use his position under the disguise of ‘concern citizen’ tins the reputation of Liberia, especially when he influenced few stakeholders to insert the issues of the dismissed staff in the agenda for Liberia’s mutual evaluation face-to-face meeting contrary to best practice.
Sources tell this joint team of investigators that Edwin W. Harris vowed to deny Liberia and many Liberians from benefiting from GIABA sponsored and other programs channeled through GIABA because stakeholders in Liberia did not implement his recommendations in the confidential memo.
“He has been in the constant habit of removing names of staff members of FIA who he feels are not his allies, including other institutions who did not yield to his demands.” A source bagging not be named stated.
It may be recalled, the issue of the two dismissed staff was placed on the agenda for discussion in 2023, the government of Liberia through Ministry of Justice (MOJ), Financial Intelligent Agency (FIA), and other stakeholders provided clarity on the case and the violations of laws of Liberia by Edwin W. Harris against the two FIA staff.
Additionally, the mutual evaluation team for Liberia comprising legal, investigative, policy, and Anti-money Laundering experts, removed the issue of the two FIA staff from the report and concentrated on key issues thereby bringing Liberia to a moderate rating after defending the report in Carbo Verdi in May 2023, amidst waves of sanction against allies of Edwin W. Harris even though Liberia is yet to benefit from programs and opportunities of ECOWAS.
Consequences of the uncovered Memo For GIABA, ECOWAS, & FATF
The covert WhatsApp transcript by Edwin W. Harris actions breached several protocols of ECOWAS Staff Regulation, including Chapter II, Article 7 “Oath of Secrecy and Confidentiality”
Section 1: A staff member of ECOWAS Institutions shall swear and be bound by an Oath of secrecy.
Section 2: Except when formally authorized by the Head of the institution the staff member shall not communicate to a third party, or make private use of information, documents or facts that come into their possession due to their position or during the performance of their work or by virtue of their official duties.
Section 6: Similarly, official documents shall not be made public or reproduced except for official purposes.
Chapter XII, Article 53 “Termination of appointment”
Section 1 (c): The emergence of facts anterior to his/her appointment and relevant to his/her suitability for the position, which, had they been known at the time of recruitment would have prevented the appointment.
Chapter XIII, Article 61 “Second (2nd) degree offenses”
Section 1 (i): Divulging professional secrets or transmitting sensitive documents to an unauthorized third party.
Section 1 (m): Misuse of Office and/or abuse of authority.
Chapter XIII, Article 62: “Third (3rd) Degree Offenses”
Section 1 (f): Divulging of confidential documents
Section 1 (g): Abuse of privileges and immunities
Security Experts tell the authoritative Independent Probe Newspaper that Mr. Edwin W. Harris, action implies imminent sanction for Liberia.
Experts say, as practice at the Inter-governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), each West African State is offered a slot after every four years to nominate a suitable candidate to occupy the Director General and Deputy Director General positions.
GIABA is an ECOWAS organization formally established as a specialized institution of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS in December 2000. Charged with the responsibility to strengthen its member States’ capacity to prevent and control money laundering and terrorist financing in the region, GIABA draws its membership from the fifteen (15) West African States. There are two non-ECOWAS countries that are members of GIABA, they are the Island of Comoros and Sao Tome and Principe.
Investigation uncovered that Edwin W. Harris, now serving as Director General for the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), got the job by the aid of some influential government officials following an invitation for the Director General Position sent to ex-President George Weah to vet and select a suitable candidate for the position in 2022. This job was never advertised for qualified AML/CFT professionals and/or experienced administrators in policy, judicial, law enforcement, etc. to apply and be vetted for selection. Before his departure to GIABA between May and August 2022, a little over $800,000.00 United States Dollars was withdrawn from the FIU account and expended without affecting the operations of the Entity.
It may be recalled in March 2024, a purported letter coming from a concerned staff of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), alleging corruption surfaced.
The purported letter demanded the inter-ministerial committee to immediate suspend Mr. Stanley Ford, Director General of the FIA, in a controversial US$6.2 million scheme.
The allegations, centered around financial misconduct, have prompted the staff to insist on Mr. Ford’s suspension to ensure a fair and unbiased investigation. The staff members, led by Nyema Tarley, underscore the necessity of Mr. Ford’s removal to prevent any potential interference or manipulation of the investigation process.
The investigation, spearheaded by the LACC (Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission), on a sum of US$6.2 million allegedly deposited into the FIA account without proper authorization in the national budget fiscal 2022/2023
Frontpage Africa
About the Author
