LINU wants Jones, LIBA audited

The political leader of the Liberia Nation Union or LINU is calling for a forensic audit of the ex-Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia now a presidential hopeful here, Dr. Joseph Mills Jones, and the former President of the Liberia Business Association (LIBA) Mr. Dee Maxwell Saah Kemayah.

Dr. Jones is current standard bearer of the opposition party Movement for Economic Empowerment, while Mr. Kemayah is his party chairman.

But LINU leader Nathaniel Blamah is calling on the General Auditing Commission and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission to immediately launch an investigation and forensic audit of the two politicians to account for a micro loan scheme introduced by Dr. Jones, while serving as executive governor at the Central Bank of Liberia and managed by the Liberia Business Association under the leadership of Mr. Kemayah.

Mr. Blamah told this paper that both men should be audited and findings made public for clarity of their integrity and image.
Speaking to this paper on Friday afternoon, February 24, at his party headquarters in Monrovia, he said, while many Liberians appreciate the loan effort, it is honorable and decent that the two give account of the scheme in which hundreds of thousands of Liberian dollars were placed in circulation.

 Mr. Blamah explained that Dr. Jones went at the Central Bank of Liberia when the exchange rate between the Liberian Dollar and United States Dollar was 80LRD to US$1.00, but left the bank when the rate headed for hundred with the economy taking a terrible shape.

He stressed that there is no indication as to how the loan given to thousands of locals could be recollected or monitored by the current management of the CBL in the absence of an audit and proper financial records.
He also alleged that some of the office spaces that were used for the micro loan scheme are today offices of Dr. Jones’ Movement for Economic Empowerment or MOVEE party; something, which he stressed, warrants proper investigation.   
He wonders how office space once used for activities of the CBL and the Liberia Business Association is now for a political party, noting that it appears those structures were reportedly paid for by taxpayers’ monies under the disguise of operating a national loan scheme when in actuality, the two individuals were using public funds for the establishment of a political party.

The LINU leader had earlier blamed Dr. Jones for the bad state of the economy here, but the MOVEE reacted, saying Mr. Blamah was speaking out of ignorance.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor-diting by Jonathan Browne