Solidarity & Trust for a New Day (STAND) has rejected a recent report from the Special Committee investigating the tampering of the 2024 national budget; stressing that the fraudsters must be made to account for their action. STAND Executive Director, Mulbah K. Morlu said the report represents a deliberate cover-up of organized crime involving high-ranking members of the Legislature.
The civil society group said that the Special Committee’s findings reflect a disgraceful miscarriage of justice, protecting powerful officials from prosecution while unfairly targeting lower-level staff.
The Special Committee chaired by Robert Flomo Womba, is said to have ignored irrefutable evidence within its own report, which directly implicates lawmakers in a criminal act, STAND said. “The 2024 National Budget, passed and submitted to the President’s office on May 7, 2024, was illegally withdrawn and altered to infuse at least US$20 million for hedonistic motives,” STAND claimed.
According to the group, the report also exposes the forgery of the Speaker’s signature while he was out of the country. This egregious act, STAND said, raises significant concerns “And the Speaker’s muted response only heightens suspicion. Without a clear and decisive effort to distance himself and hold the responsible parties accountable, his silence may be interpreted as tacit endorsement of this grave offense.”
Morlu and his group disclosed that despite overwhelming evidence implicating members of the Joint Ways, Means, and Finance Committee, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Womba Committee’s report is shifting blame to junior staffers.
STAND demands an immediate and thorough investigation into what it calls ‘blatant fraudulent activity. ”The Liberian people deserve justice, and all those responsible, regardless of rank, must be held accountable. This scandal has deeply undermined public trust in our institutions, and the refusal to prosecute those involved reveals a broken system that protects the powerful while punishing the powerless.”
They warned that if action is not taken, STAND will, within days, petition the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to launch a formal investigation and prosecute all officials involved in this budget tampering scheme.
“Liberia cannot tolerate a system where the powerful are shielded while the powerless are scapegoated. Confronted with such blatant hypocrisy, STAND is committed to protecting the public interest and will continue to advocate for justice until it is achieved,” they maintained.
