A common saying in legal administration is, “If you’ve done nothing wrong, you’ve got nothing to fear,” based on the principle of “innocent until proven guilty.” However, the situation appears different in the case of the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS), where the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) took stringent measures to summon Madam Sonita Dangan, the Head of Instruction and Curriculum at MCSS, for questioning.
According to the LACC, Madam Dangan was brought in for questioning on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, after she refused to appear in response to a formal written invitation, raising further suspicions.
The LACC invited Madam Dangan as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of financial malpractice, official corruption, and misapplication of entrusted property within the MCSS. The invitation was in accordance with standard procedures, allowing her to provide relevant information and clarify her role in the matter under review.
Despite receiving the invitation, Madam Dangan did not comply, prompting the Commission to take necessary legal steps to ensure her presence. The LACC stated that this action was taken strictly in accordance with the law, after all options for voluntary cooperation were exhausted.
The Commission highlighted that Madam Dangan’s testimony is vital to advancing the investigation, particularly regarding the proper management of public resources in the educational sector. The LACC said it remains committed to upholding principles of due process, transparency, and fairness, ensuring that all individuals involved in this or any other investigation are afforded their full legal rights throughout the process.
It is worth noting that the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) indicted the Superintendent of the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS), along with a confidant and an employee of Sky Insurance, on charges of serious corruption.
Madam Sonita Dangan (the confidant) and Kabineh Keita of Sky Insurance Company were referred to the LACC by the FIA for investigation. In a communication from the Officer-In-Charge of the FIA, Mohammed A. Nasser, to LACC head Cllr. Alexandra K. Zoe, the trio—Sonita Dangan, Superintendent James A.S. Momoh, and Kabineh Keita of Sky Insurance—are suspected of conspiring to inflate the insurance costs and receiving a kickback through a cheque from Kabineh Keita to Sonita Dangan’s account.
The FIA investigation revealed that Madam Dangan deposited those cheques into her account at SI Bank and subsequently withdrew the money. Additionally, the FIA discovered that scholarships intended for MCSS teachers to study abroad were monetized by the MCSS administration for personal gain, with Superintendent Momoh being the principal suspect.
“Compliments, I am bringing to your attention a matter arising from the Monrovia Consolidated School System in which Sonita Dangan is the principal suspect. The intelligence gathered is grave and requires your immediate action. Madam Chair, these suspicions are serious and must be investigated by the LACC without delay,” the communication attached to the report stated.
The FIA maintained that Suspect Sonita’s account was allegedly used to commit fraud and corruption while Superintendent Momoh benefited. The FIA suspected that the scholarships intended for MCSS teachers to study in India were monetized by the MCSS administration, with James A.S. Momoh as the main suspect. “FIA requests the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to conduct a full-scale investigation into allegations of corruption at the MCSS.”
The FIA also discovered that Suspect Dangan reactivated her dormant account at SIB, depositing LRD 8,109,000 in cheques from Kabineh Keita, who is believed to be an employee of Sky Insurance. The FIA suspects that travel tickets for scholarship students in India were paid for by the Government of Liberia; however, MCSS still collected US$920 from each student.
“There is no evidence of any business dealings between Sonita Dangan and Kabineh Keita for which he issued her cheques totaling LRD 8,109,000,” the FIA stated. They further reported that Sonita, said to reside in Watch Tower Community in Paynesville, opened an account (a/c #: 0310201891002) with Sapelle International Bank (SIB) in June 2016, from which she received her salary in Liberian Dollars.
According to the FIA, her salaries were regular between July 2016 and July 2022 but became dormant between July 2022 and September 18, 2024. However, the investigation showed that on September 19, 2024, Sonita reactivated the account and deposited LRD 4,500, despite not receiving any salary after the reactivation.
The report indicated that on September 30, 2024, and December 6, 2024, Sonita deposited three UBA cheques totaling LRD 8,109,000 into her account, which were issued by Kabineh Keita. However, the FIA was unable to find any business dealings between the two to justify the issuance of those cheques.
