The Civil Society Network of Liberia (CSNL) has described as baseless and unfounded allegations of corruption paraded in the public by some “purported journalists” and activists that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis, withdrew US$75,000 from NOCAL’s SIB account for the purchase of a single car with a kickback of US$30,000, and allegedly awarded a consultancy contract of US$585,000 against the procedure of the Public Procurement Concessions Commission (PPCC). “We see these allegations as a manufactured corruption story intended to undermine Madam Suacoco Dennis as President and CEO of NOCAL,” CSNL observed.
In a release issued over the weekend, the CSNL said, “Having investigated and analyzed the different transactions mentioned in the corruption allegations against Madam Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis at NOCAL, the Civil Society Network of Liberia views the wave of allegations against her as not only unsubstantiated but a fabricated blackmail information with the sole intent of seeking her removal as CEO of the oil company. It is disappointing that those making the claim that Madam Suacoco Dennis used US$75,000.00 for a single car lack independent verification. Documents in the possession of the Civil Society Network of Liberia show that the purchase of the vehicles was approved by the Board of NOCAL. In fact, it is established that US$45,000.00 was used to purchase an official vehicle for the CEO and US$30,000.00 was used to purchase a utility vehicle. Claim that the US$30,000.00 was registered in the name of her private company is farfetched and lacks evidence to prove it. The Civil Society Network of Liberia sees nothing fundamentally wrong with the use of US$75,000.00 to purchase US$45,000.00 vehicle for the CEO of the country’s oil company and US$30,000.00 for the purchase of utility vehicle for the security and other supportive staff of the entity for security protocols and operational efficiency. There is no trace of a kickback in this transaction.
“Furthermore, the allegation that Madam Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis signed a consultancy contract worth US$585,000.00 with West Africa Geo-Services (WAGS) without approval from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Finance lacks supporting documentation and evidential proof. Government procurement processes involve multiple stages of approval, including internal audits and legal vetting. If the contract was illegal, proper and thorough investigative channels should be pursued to verify these claims instead of making warranted accusations. Our investigation established that a request for single sourcing from NOCAL for the consultancy contract was approved by the PPCC. In fact, West Africa Geo-Services is a legally registered geo-services consulting firm to which Madam Suacoco Dennis has no link, as is being alleged by the professed journalists and activists. It is even laughable for those making the allegations to see disbursements of US$300,000.00 as corruption when contract payments are made based on deliverables. It would have been objective were the supposed blackmailers and purported activists had sought for information regarding the scope, nature, objectives and expected deliverables of the contract, as well as the current actual deliverables from the contracting firm that warranted the initial payment.”
The Civil Society Network of Liberia (CSNL) said it has uncovered that the wave of allegations against Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis is an undermining effort by internal actors at NOCAL. “The nature of the claims of corruption being made against Madam Suacoco Dennis, when all documentations show that all of the transactions were approved by the company’s board and implemented by the entity’s management team, speaks volumes of a concocted ploy to besmear her character. Madam Suacoco Dennis does not sign checks alone. Every financial transaction at NOCAL is subjected to rigorous financial regulations that call for Board approval and co-signatory of the Vice President for Finance. It is important for all to understand that individual ambition at entities like NOCAL can lead to an undermining spirit from lieutenants who feel entitled to certain positions. The CSNL sees Madam Suacoco Dennis as being a victim of this unbridled desire,” the release observed.
According to the release, “As a consequence of the calculated plan to undermine Madam Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis’s role at NOCAL, President Boakai has suspended her. The Civil Society Network of Liberia strongly believes that President Boakai’s suspension of Madam Suacoco Dennis is ill-advised, and it is an artificial and showy display in the fight against corruption. We are also of the belief that the President’s suspension action is due to the parading manufactured corruption information being used by propagandists who are bent on ensuring that Madam Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis is removed as CEO of NOCAL. With the level of unsubstantiated evidence surrounding the corruption allegations against Madam Suacoco Dennis, we think President Boakai was misled to have taken such action. However, we call on Madam Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis to embrace the investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), which is an opportunity for her to prove her innocence.
“While the Civil Society Network of Liberia frowns against, and detests corruption to the core, the institution will not support those who are bent on making unfounded claims against the characters of officials of government. The act of making unwarranted allegations against people’s character just because they serve in the public sector is ridiculous and despicable. In as much as we do not support corruption and mismanagement of public funds, we believe that the corruption allegations against Madam Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis is a make-believe story with no supporting evidence to substantiate the claims. The Civil Society Network of Liberia calls on those parading with these unproved corruption allegations against Madam Suacoco Dennis to desist.”
