Strides & Challenges Liberia In The Last Four to Five Years
A friend and I are having this conversation about the strides and challenges of the government in the last four to five years. The discussion is going so well until he starts to reference the 16billion and 25million sagas as some of the malfeasance and pitfalls.
I am distraught. Not that it is unlawful to mention these incidents— but the crassness and unsophistication of the view he harbors. After busting all the ambiguities — and the pellucid clarity provided by AB Crane, Kroll Associates, CBL, and the Court, to still have anyone thinking that 16billion varnish in tin air around here is a core absurdity.
So I decided to ask a few questions before forging further explanation.
Did you know that the Americans were the ones who Investigated the “16billion” allegation? He said “yes”
Did you know only 5,374,750,000 (5 billion - three hundred and seventy-four million five hundred thousand) constitute about 35% was the amount that entered under this regime? He started to stutter because he didn’t even know this in the first place.
Did you wonder why the State Department didn’t pick up the story in subsequent years’ reports? He kept mute —listening. He had no clue.
Then I continue. The Americans were never bribed to mince their words or speak in nuances. They reported exactly how they saw things happen. No 16billion was printed. Only 15.5billion. That was what the reports captured.
There were variances and discrepancies ( inaccurate financial reporting). But it was confirmed in the very KROOL report that CBL received delivery of all the monies. This is KEY— it was confirmed by KROOL that all the monies were received by CBL!
By the way, variances and discrepancies in financial reporting do not necessarily constitute corruption. It mostly requires the relevant authorities to provide legitimate clarity.
In the absence of that legit information, CBL governors were taken to court. AB Crane, the entity that printed the money, later had to respond to Kroll’s report and provided incontrovertible clarity on the discrepancies and variances. Here’s the link. https://frontpageafricaonline.com/.../Kroll-Response.... This is how the governors were freed of the charges levied against them.
These are key things to remember.
— only 5bn or 35% of the 15.5billon entered under this regime. — 65% entered in 2016 and 2017 — monies printed for countries do not come in one consignment. —The entire country started using these very Banknotes in 2016. —The discrepancies and variances that created a picture of 17.5billon instead of the 15.5billion CBL received were clarified by AB Crane. — attached to this post is a screenshot of the table used by KROOL depicting the dates each consignment entered.
Fast forward to the 25million. I asked whether he has read the GAC audit and LACC reports. He obviously didn’t. He only followed the sidewalk narrative and coined his from there. The first thing there was no 25m used for any mop-up. Only 15m. 2M was given to TOTAL COMPANY to stop them from drawing down since they were challenged AND being one of the leading importers of petroleum products. So to that “25m missing” narrative is a false spin! https://frontpageafricaonline.com/.../liberia-leaked.../
Few things to remember in this case.
— What went on here was exchanging of money. Give USD and take LD to sterilize. — The rate dropped from 200 to 150 as a result of the mop-up exercise and it has since remained there. — There were discrepancies and variances in reporting but the equivalence of the USD was in the CBL available in the CBL’s vault for all to see. — CBL leadership’s sloppy behavior that led to all the “discrepancies and variances” alarm didn’t go unnoticed. —This led to the President initiating reforms there. — CBL was taken from the TEMT. — New governor was appointed. — Central government was stopped from crediting CBL. — LACC report confirmed that the monies were received.
The government has collected so many “25 million” we know nothing about. If the government is truly corrupt as the false narrative from anti-gov folks is trying to portray, why not the many other “25m” we know nothing about— than the one that was already announced to the whole country? Which criminal does that?!
Moral of this post: Young People in politics should be disciplined enough to research facts than allow themselves fed with just anything!
