Liberia’s Minister of Defense Daniel Ziahnkan joins debate on the alleged missing 16 billion Liberian banknotes, calling on critics and some members of the public to shut up, as government and its international partners thoroughly investigate the issue.
He says it would be very decent enough for people to give the process a chance by holding their opinions.Speaking on Truth Breakfast Show on Monday, 15 October in Paynesville outside of Monrovia, Minister Ziahnkan says, “Because you know demand and supply, so you can’t give the investigation chance. I feel the Commander-In-Chief, President George Manneh Weah had given order for immediate investigation into the missing money and that order should be obeyed by waiting for the outcome of the investigation.”
From President George Manneh Weah, to the Minister of Finance; Justice Minister; from the Justice Minister to the Minister of Information; to the Chairman of the CDC and on to the Mayor of the City of Monrovia, and the list goes on, there has been streams of contradicting utterances on the missing billions.
Minister Ziahnkan notes that many comments would not help to resolve the missing moneys saga, but only through investigation conducted by international experts and local investigators to get to the bottom of the scandal.
He lauds the United States and the European Union for accepting to help with the investigation, adding the addition of the two global icons in investigating such matters, would give findings and recommendations international taste and meet best international standard.
Commenting on the construction of the 14th Military hospital here, Minister Ziahnkan explains that the construction works are ongoing and the Liberian government had made available US$2 million for the exercise. According to him, the hospital will be completed by October next year.
Recently, the United States Embassy near Monrovia, through USAID, said it has reached out to independent, internationally recognized firms with specialization in forensic investigations to conduct a scoping mission in a bid to ascertain the basic facts of the alleged missing currency matter and determine to what extent a broader mission would be needed.
By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor–Editing by Jonathan Browne
