His Excellency Ambassador Joseph N. Boakai has been urged to register unreserved apology to the people of Liberia for willfully or unknowingly providing wrong information about the money he inherited from the Weah-led administration, which constitute perjury and gross misconduct under Liberian laws.
Several days have elapsed since a team from the Central Bank of Liberia, which included the Governor, J. Aloysius Tarlue, Deputy Governor for Operations, Nyemadi D. Pearson, and Deputy Governor for Economic Policy, Dr. Musa Dukuly, answered the call of the House of Representatives to provide clarity on the disagreement between former President George M. Weah and President Joseph N. Boakai about the balances of the Consolidated Funds Account at the bank, with the team practically validating Weah’s assertion by providing the statement of account to the House that indicated that there were over US$27 million and L$2.4 billion in the account which, when combined, sum up to over US$40 million.
Speaking during the CBL appearance before the plenary of the House of Representatives on Thursday, February 1, 2024, Deputy CBL Governor Pearson told lawmakers that there were over L$2.4 billion in the consolidated account as well as more than US$27 million and, as per the approved prevailing rate of US$1 to L$188.36, that means the total amount in the Consolidated Account on January 19 was about US$40.4 million.
Deputy Governor Pearson spoke to the lawmakers from a professional stance and not a political one, noting that the figures presented were the correct consolidated balances in both currencies, and these figures are requested by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning on a daily basis. “What we do from our system is to print the balance, Liberian dollars and U.S. dollars, and give it to them,” she explained.
She underscored that they at CBL did not have any conversation with either of the Presidents regarding the balances. “How those numbers were interpreted, we can’t be held liable,” she clarified.
Even though the plenary of the House decided to refer the CBL team to its Banking Committee, it has become apparent that President Boakai was misled with the figures, bringing his State-of-the-Nation Address to public questioning when the speech should have been used as a policy document and reserved for future referencing. Unfortunately, the speech is flooded with wrong figures and allegations against the former President that are far-fetched. He did so under oath, constituting perjury, a third-degree felony, as well as gross misconduct, according to the 1986 Constitution.
According to Article 62 of the 1986 Constitution, “The President and the Vice-President may be removed from office by impeachment for treason, bribery and other felonies, violation of the Constitution or gross misconduct.” This article elevates the sentiment for the need for President Boakai to apologize, as it invokes harsh consequences.
