The Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), Aloysius Tarlue, has faced the plenary of the House of Representatives regarding the disagreement between ex-President George M. Weah and President Joseph N. Boakai about the amount left in the Consolidated Funds Account and the CBL reserves, explaining that he did not release any figure to either of the Presidents about the account’s balance.
According to Governor Tarlue, the CBL however provided all necessary information to the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Minister Samuel Tweah, who possibly shared same with the former President on the total amount and further informed the Presidential Transition Team, which could have also informed the current President.
According to the Governor, the information the CBL provided was interpreted differently by those who received it, and the bank has no part in it.
Governor Tarlue reluctantly declined to partake in the on-going debate of who is telling the truth to the public on the two different amounts announced by the former and current Presidents.
Meanwhile, members of the House of Representatives on Thursday voted for the Transitional Team and the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) to be subjected to an investigation of the Banking and Currency Committee to address information regarding the data of US$20.5 million, which President Joseph N. Boakai announced during the January 29’s State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA).
According to the motion proffered by Montserrado County’s district #16 Representative, Dixon Seboe, the House’s Banking and Currency Committee should probe the Central Bank of Liberia, including the Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia, J. Aloysius Tarlue, and his deputies, Dr. Musa Dukuly, Deputy Governor for Economic Policy, and Nyemadi D. Pearson, Deputy Governor for Operations, as well as the Transition Team to ascertain which “data” was submitted to the President for him to have said that the report of US$40 million as the GoL’s consolidated account balance, as of January 19, 2024, is not supported by facts.
The lawmaker, in his motion, said the testimonies of the Central Bank of Liberia indicated that as of January 19 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, which means the total amount in the Consolidated Account on January 19 was about US$40.4 million.
The motion said the Banking and Currency Committee will report to the august body on Tuesday, February 6.
