Sinoe officials fuss over LACC report

Two senior officials of Sinoe County, Senator Mobutu Vlah Nyenpan and Superintendent J. Milton Teahjay, are at each other’s throats in connection with the recent report released by the Liberian Anti-Corruption Commission or LACC, indicting Superintendent Teahjay for reportedly misapplying funds intended for the county.

But Supt. Teahjay has drawn Sen. Nyenpan into the picture, claiming that projects completed in the county were implemented by companies belonging to Senator Nyenpan. The LACC report recommended to the Justice Ministry to prosecute Supt. Teahjay and other officials linked to alleged misapplication of entrusted public funds.

At a news conference hosted in Monrovia Tuesday, Supt. Teahjay accused Sen. Nyenpan of creating bogus companies that took series of contracts from the county’s authorities under the pretext of executing them but failed to complete those projects.

Teahjay, who underwent intense investigations from the Liberia Anti Corruption Commission for months, said that many of the issues contained in the LACC reports about the county’s projects being uncompleted, are projects undertaken by Sen. Nyenpan’s companies, the New Venture and Eco-Trading.

However, speaking on the matter earlier Tuesday at the Capitol Building in Monrovia, Sen. Nyenpan expressed thanks and appreciation to the LACC for redeeming Sinoe County’s coffers from the deadly hands of Superintendent Teahjay, whom he said, had built five modern houses in less than four years from the coffers of the county but still claimed to be corruption-freed.

“The superintendent earns about US$2,000 per month. For this our superintendent to build over four houses in Sinoe and purchase fleet of cars within the given period of time and still presents himself as not corrupt is unthinkable,” he said.

Sen. Nyenpan added that it is unfortunate and shameful that Supt. Teahjay will not accept his blunder and corrupt practices, but wants to shift blame on him (Nyenpan) who has served the county so dedicatedly.

He categorically denied ever having any link with the construction companies in question, saying, “I challenge Supt. Teahjay to produce any evidence linking me to any company in the county. All he has said are pure lies created to make himself feel comfortable for the time being.”

Superintendent Teahjay is challenging Senator Nyenpan in the ensuing special senatorial election in December, and has vowed to unseat the incumbent. Being apparently emotional with the indictment, Teahjay said, not even the LACC report can deter him from being elected by the people of Sinoe County.

He claimed the Verdiers are troublemakers, noting that Cllr. Jerome Verdier grossly violated findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, something he noted, that led to the entire TRC Report being left in the dungeon.

Teahjay said another Verdier, this time around James Verdier, has taken taxpayers’ monies and grossly misused such funds by leaving out those who are guilty of misappropriating public funds and instead, attacking him.

He said there are volumes of documentations presented to the LACC, linking Sen. Nyenpan to taking money from the county under the guise of implementing projects but never completed them.