Boakai re-opens dead auditors’ files  

President Boakai mandates the Minister of Justice here to investigate the death of several auditors and three missing boys under the previous administration.

By Stephen G. Fellajuah 

Monrovia, Liberia, March 4, 2025 – President Joseph Boakai has resurrected the case involving the disappearance of three boys and the death of auditors. 

President Boakai directs the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh to investigate the matter. This could indicate a serious concern about the circumstances surrounding these incidents, and it is important for the investigation to be thorough to uncover the truth. 

In a cabinet meeting on March 3, 2025, President Boakai emphasized the need for justice for families affected by the mysterious deaths and disappearances. 

This indicates his commitment to ensuring that the victims’ families receive necessary support and that the truth is uncovered. His focus on justice suggests that the government aims to hold those responsible accountable and provide some form of closure for the grieving families.

The President’s statement could also highlight the importance of maintaining public trust and transparency, especially in such serious cases. 

President Boakai tells his officials here, “It’s time for the government to look into these matters so that justice can be served without fear or favor.”

On October 17, 2020, Robert M. Blamo, Jr, 29, Siafa Gbana Boimah, 34, and Bobby S. Gbeanquoi, 32, reportedly drowned in a river in Fuama district, lower Bong County, when a canoe they were allegedly riding capsized while returning to their respective homes.

The three boys were said to have gone to do some jobs for Mr. Moses Ahossoule, the owner of St. Moses Funeral Home, and Mr. Abraham G. Samuel, another person.

An Independent Investigative Panel was established, comprising the Liberia National Police (LNP) Representative of various Security Agencies, the Association of Female Lawyers (AFFLL), the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), and the Inter-religious Council.

Also, reports of the suspicious deaths of four public-sector internal auditors in Liberia in 2022 also sent shockwaves through the internal auditing profession amid calls for greater investigation into the circumstances of the incidents.

Occurring over eight days, from October 3 to 10, the four deaths involved Emmanuel Barten Nyeswua, director general of the Liberia Internal Audit Agency, and Albert Peters, Gifty Lama, and George F. Fanbutu, all with the Liberia Revenue Authority.

All four reportedly were conducting audits of Liberia government accounts over allegations of misappropriation of funds. Nyeswua died of a reported fall at his residence, while the others died in suspicious car accidents. Editing by Jonathan Browne