Legal proceedings have begun in a high-profile fraud case involving a US$30,000 unauthorized withdrawal from the project account of LIPACE, a Liberian NGO. Four of six accused individuals were arraigned Thursday at the Monrovia City Court.
Charged are Victor Williams, Sailverlyn D. Saway, Musa Konneh, and Chester Barker. The court heard that a forged check from LIPACE’s Second Chance Project account was cashed at the UBA Broad Street branch in January 2025. Prosecutors allege it was part of a broader fraud involving both internal staff and external collaborators.
Williams and Konneh were detained at the Monrovia Central Prison for failing to secure insurance bonds. Saway and Barker were granted bail. Prosecutors maintain that Saway, who served as LIPACE’s Finance Associate, violated her fiduciary duties by failing to safeguard institutional checks, which her fiancé, Williams, later used in the fraud.
The defense’s motion to sever Saway’s case from the others was challenged by prosecutors on the ground of a common conspiracy. A ruling is pending.
Two other suspects, UBA staffer, Emmanuel Knagay, and an intermediary, Seth Carter, remain at-large. The case continues to attract national attention as it underscores weaknesses in banking accountability.
IPACE stated that it is cooperating with investigators and has taken disciplinary action to ensure transparency and accountability.
