The President Senate Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate has rubbished media reports linking him to what he termed as falsehood and broad-day lies information aired on the Costa Show and simultaneously reported in the Frontpage Africa newspaper during the week of April 1-6 that he was involved in several acts of impropriety when he served as Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy more than ten (10) years ago.
In an interview Monday, April 22, at his Capitol Building office in Monrovia, the Pro Tempore Albert Chie said late day attempt to smear his internationally-acclaimed reputation as one of Liberia’s best brains and experienced professionals in the mining sector and academia, is being perpetrated by three of his Senate colleagues and their collaborators in the media who ill-advised the now constitutionally-removed Cllr. KabinehJa’Neh from the Supreme Court Bench.
Pro Tempore Chie in an angry tone told this paper that he has the confidence of 26 of the current 29 Senators and more 90% of his Grand Kru Constituents residing in the County due to his transparent and consultative leadership style with daily guidance from above.
Pro-Tempore Chie said had no time was he a shareholder in the then Broadway-PepperCoast Petroleum Block LB 13 which was sold by the Liberian Government to ExxonMobilor did he receive a cent from the sale of the Block by the Government He accusesFrontpage Africa of spreading the rumors from 2013 after the block was sold by the Government that he Senator Chie was one of the Liberian Shareholders who benefited from the transaction.
“This false allegation was repeated in the Frontpage Africa and aired on the Costa Show two weeks ago. At that time in 2013 when Frontpage started spreading the lies,” the Pro-temp indicated that was contesting the Senatorial Seat he now occupies for Grand Kru County which another candidate supported by the newspaper was also contesting.
Senator Chie revealed that the issue of Liberian Shareholders in Block LB 13 has been investigated extensively by many institutions and none of those investigations found him as a shareholder or a beneficiary of the transaction.
Pro Tempore Chie intimated Global Witness conducted an extensive investigation into the sale of Block 13, including alleged Liberian shareholders. Global Witness’s Report entitled: Catch Me if you Can, published in March 2018, discussed the Liberian Shareholding, and the Name of Albert Chie, was never mentioned because he was never a shareholder in the Block or in Broadway/Peppercoast, Pro-temp Chie said.
“This report is available on the Global Witness Website. Based on the Global Witness Report, President Weah in 2018 set up a Presidential Committee to look into the findings of Global Witness. The Presidential Committee’s report found nothing about Senator Chie’s involvement in the block whatsoever,” he narrated.
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Protemp Chie indicated that as Assistant Minister for Mineral Exploration and Research in 2005, he encouraged Mr. Len Lindstrom, the CEO of Liberty Gold to invest in exploration rather than in small-scale mining. As part of his responsibility, he provided the Canadian basic information about the mining sector, potential mineralized areas and mining laws and regulations.
Chie noted that those officials at the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy who monitored the activities of Mr. Lendstrom indicated that the Canadian was involved in 419 and OPM (Other People’s Money) eating activities and could not meet up with his responsibility to the Government, which led to the problems he found himself in.By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor
