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Politics News

Rep. Berrian denies link to scholarship fraud

Montserrado County Electoral District 10th Representative Julius Berrian, has expressed dismay over report implicating him to scholarship fraud. Representative Berrien, who is member of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), told the NewDawn recently in Monrovia that media report linking him to fraud is not only ‘unfair’, but intended to blemish his hard earned reputation.


According him, Miss Angela Harris Moldestad, a Liberian residing in the United States implicated him to fraudulent scholarship scheme, only because he is a close friend to her and then accused Dr. William Barnes.

In Miss Moldestad complained via email that Dr. Barnes claimed that he was running an organization under district#10 leadership that was providing scholarship to Liberians both locally and internationally, something he (Berrian ) denied ever being a part.

Rep. Berrian said Dr. Barnes is an educated guy, who may have a scholarship scheme in the district as reported by Angela, but as a lawmaker and friend to both Angela and Dr. Barnes, he is not aware of such program.

“We just want to register to the public that after local daily edition dated Wednesday April 12, 2017, with a captioned “I was part of a fraudulent scholarship program. I have decided to register my own view on this matter that I am innocent and don’t know anything about such report”, he denied.

“I know the lady in question and I even know the man in question and we are friends. The last time I ever met them was the time I was in America. I am completely innocent to whatever thing that she is saying. She does not have any document to prove that indeed, I Julius Berrian sponsored or was supporting any scholarship from her relatives or friends from Liberia. She doesn’t have any document to show that I received any payment and we are completely amazed of such information emanating from people of such kind”, he said.

Whatever thing has been done between the two parties , Barnes and the lady in question, they have better ways to explain their conflict, if there be a conflict between them, but to register me in the process, I think it is unfair and I think justice has not being done to my image, Rep. Berrian further argued.
He challenged Miss Moldestad to produce evidence that she gave him money, adding that “Not because I know you will indicate that when someone does wrong, then I know about the wrong”, he said.

Reports gathered indicate Dr. Barnes and Miss Angela Harris Moldestad are intimate friends. She alleged that Dr. Barnes siphoned over U$350,000 from her under the pretext of providing visas and academic scholarship at Pont Part University in the United State for her siblings in Liberia. She said her relatives were denied visas at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia after it was established that the scholarship program was fake.

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In an email exchanged, Miss Angela Harris Moldestad complained back home that she was rubbed by Dr. Barnes who claimed that he was representing an organization called YPP-Liberian for International Scholarship.

Angela: “In May 2016, I got a call from Dr. Barnes indicating that he was working under the leadership of District 10, Honorable Julius Berrian and Pont Part University of Pittsburg or PP, in the States. Dr. Barnes told me that each student had to pay $4,000 and the scholarship would cover the rest of the money. I deposited U$ 3, 400.00 in Dr. Barnes’ account and paid U$400.00 for service fees and $350.00 for my siblings to benefit from this venture, all the applicants on August 15, 2016 sat the interview at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia and they were all denied.”

-Editing by Jonathan Browne

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