Since her indictment by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (NEC), the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Cllr. Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, is hanging on to every thread to muddy the image of the Weah administration and the state of electoral affairs of the country, with the latest being a blanket accusation that the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel F. McGill, on behalf of President George M. Weah, offered her a deal to rig the 2023 general and presidential elections in favor of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
In an interview with an international justice group recently, Browne-Lansanah accused President Weah of sending Minister McGill to her to do a staff shake-up to make way for CDC die-hard partisans in key, strategic NEC positions and, in return, her pending court case will fade away; otherwise, she can expect to find herself in court in less than two weeks.
Browne-Lansanah said she categorically rejected the deal and told McGill that she will neither compromise the electoral process in Liberia nor compromise her integrity for personal benefits. She further stated that no member of her staff has been errant to warrant termination and that she would not oblige. According to her, if McGill and Weah desire to make such unwarranted changes at the NEC, they should go ahead and do it themselves.
One of the Commissioners of the NEC, Floyd Oxley Sayor, has been accused of being a protégé of President Weah who owes his life to the President, and has since declared publicly to make Weah a second-term President as the primary reason for his being on the Board of Commissioners.
Floyd also stands accused of informing President Weah that Browne-Lansanah is not cooperating with the scheme of making him a second-term President, and would likely be an obstructionist if nothing is done at this time.
The Hot Pepper is yet to contact Minister McGill or President Weah as it relates to the anti-democratic allegations; however, it has been observed that these allegations come at a time that the Chairperson of the NEC, Browne-Lansanah, is struggling with integrity issues and financial malpractices, as the LACC sometime ago indicted her for conflict of interest and insider trading, with a number of civil society groups calling for her dismissal in order for her to face prosecution to clear her name.
The LACC investigation found Browne-Lansanah blameworthy for acts ranging from conflict of interest, corruption to insider trading and market manipulation, with subsequent indictment for her prosecution to be drawn soon.
In early November 2021, it was reported that officials of the National Elections Commission (NEC) rented thermometers at the cost of more than US$180,000 for use during the by-elections, and that there were conflict of interest in the award of the contract to Tuma Enterprises, as they did not follow procurement regulations and did not regard the value for money.
According to the LACC, these allegations formed the basis for the commencement of investigation into the matter.
The Executive Chairperson of the LACC, Cllr. Edwin Kla Martins, noted the LACC investigation found that Cllr. Browne-Lansanah did not disclose her interest in Tuma Enterprises while presiding over the Procurement Committee of the NEC.
“During the investigation, Madame Davidetta Browne-Lansanah admitted and confirmed to the investigation that Mr. David Brown, Vice President for Operations of Tuma Enterprises, is her brother from the same father, while Arnold Badio, owner and incorporator of Tuma Enterprise Inc., is a brother to David Browne from the same mother,” the LACC boss disclosed.
According to him, the National Elections Commission also awarded Certificate of Completion to Tuma Enterprises on October 24, 2021 and paid a full amount of US$182,320, while the stipulated date for the contract to end was November 20, 2021.
However, the LACC investigation observed that, in the discharge of her duties as Chairperson of the NEC and head of the entity’s procurement committee, Cllr. Davidetta Browne Lansanah knew full well of her vested interest (relationship) in the Tuma Enterprise Inc., but vehemently refused to make it known to her fellow Commissioners or to the Procurement Committee; as such, found her liable of the crimes and not the entire NEC.
The NEC boss was found liable of Section 1.3.6 (Conflict of Interest) of the National Code of Conduct for all Public Officials and Employees of the Government of Liberia (GOL); Part II, Section 2.2 of the Act establishing the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, which describes insider trading as an act of corruption; and also in violation of section 15.3 (predicate offenses for money laundering under section 15.2 of the Money Laundering Act of 2012), which prohibits insider trading and market manipulation.
Meanwhile, the First Judicial Circuit Court has scheduled a pre-trial conference for the NEC boss and the LACC for today, February 28, 2022, at the Temple of Justice at 1:00 p.m.