The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Amin Modad, has provided clarification in the allegation regarding the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) purchasing a 2024 Chevy Suburban for him and the claim that he brought into the country a yacht valued at the same price as that of former President William V.S. Tubman.
In his response, Minister Modad observed that, as verified by the LRA, the car in question was purchased for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and not for him, as is being insinuated, with all the documents relevant to the purchase, including invoices and bill of laden, carrying the name of the ministry.
The Commerce Minister pointed out that he has been using his personal vehicle since taking office as minister (nearly 8 months), and that he has since been fueling the car and paying the salary of the assigned driver from his pocket. He lamented that his vehicle is a Mercedes sedan, which cannot go everywhere (even in Monrovia) due to road conditions, and to ensure that the ministry plays its role in addressing the decentralization of trade and industrial issues impacting the growth of the private sector, and particularly support the government’s Liberianization agenda, requires that the minister and his team work in all the counties and engage all the border points. However, there is no vehicle approved in the 2024 budget for the ministry, let alone the minister.
According to him, when the ministry discovered that the LRA had previously provided such support to the MOCI through its legal/contractual arrangements with BIVAC and MedTech over the last couple of years, the ministry reached out to LRA to help with the purchase of three vehicles.
“Invoices from several dealerships were collected; all other vehicles with the off-road, size and safety requirements were above US$100K. Furthermore, at the time the ministry made the request and began the procurement process (in March), the Budget Law restricting the ceiling price for ministers’ vehicles was not in place; it was passed in June. The vehicle was purchased for the Ministry of Commerce, and the funds paid directly to the vendor,” Minister Modad explained.
Regarding the purchase of a yacht valued at US$400,000, similar to that of late President Tubman, Minister Modad termed the allegation as false and malicious. He said he has nothing to hide and, in fact, he listed a boat (not a yacht) when he declared his assets. He noted that he has owned more than three boats and watercrafts since 2010, far before serving in government, and that the evidences are available to confirm his statement.
He accused the enemies of change for being behind these “unfounded” allegations, but vowed to execute his functions properly, in accordance with law, while protecting his image, reputation, character and integrity. “The enemies of change, for whom the very existence of this administration is a threat, will stop at nothing but to impinge the reputation of most of the President’s trusted lieutenants and those they cannot corrupt,” he stated.
The embattled minister noted that, instead of appreciating the achievements of the ministry in the short period of time, detractors are engaged in misinformation and disinformation, at the detriment of his character and the successes of the Ministry of Commerce. “Many of the detractors spreading the lies and propaganda are actually individuals who are against me because I’m not conceding to their corruption and pressure to grant them preferential treatments,” he further noted.
