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Liberia: Justice Storms LBDI
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The Inquirer (Monrovia)
10 April 2008
Posted to the web 10 April 2008
Charles B. Yates and D. Webster Cassell
Monrovia
Information gathered by this paper has revealed that the Government of Liberia (GOL) through the Ministry of Justice yesterday morning stormed the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI) in search of information on the accounts of victims on the UN travel ban.
According to information, the government visited the bank as early as 8:00 a.m. with a search warrant from a local court.
The information further revealed that key officials from the bank including the first vice president, Mr. Charles Allen, who served as former Deputy Minister for Expenditure at the Ministry of Finance during the NPP led government, were invited for questioning.
Sources close to the bank informed the INQUIRER that the government had requested that the bank provide detail information about the accounts of all those currently on the UN travel ban.
Additionally, our sources confirmed that the bank officials who were invited by the Justice Ministry were kept at the ministry from morning to evening without eating.
The sources also disclosed that when the government made the request to the LBDI officials, they refused to produce documents or information relative to the accounts of the travel ban victims on grounds that it contravenes rules governing banking policies.
With that information provided, our source further said that as a means of taking legal approach, the bank invited its legal representation, one Cllr. Pearl who was allegedly threatened with imprisonment by the Ministry of Justice.
It was also alleged that Mr. Charles Allen was also threatened to be send to prison if he had refuse to give the necessary information needed by the government.
Our source also alleged that the bank's officials were questioned by the Solicitor General of Liberia, Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe at which time they were asked to provide accounts information about the travel victims regardless of banking policies.
After a close-door questioning at the Ministry of Justice, our reporters caught up with Mr. Allen who quietly walked out of the MOJ and confirmed that the premises of the bank was stormed by the government of Liberia with a search warrant.
When our reporters contacted the offices of the solicitor General of Liberia, Cllr. Taiwon Gongloe, his Special Assistant simply identified as Tobias Weah said the government will respond to the issue shortly.
Even though he did reveal as to which court the warrant came from or whether it was from the United Nations, but he further affirmed that he had not eating anything since his visitation at the Ministry of Justice.
Mr. Weah who harshly approached our reporters stating, " No Press, No Press, No Press " later said the government is putting into place paper works to address the issue.
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Meanwhile investigation into the matter continues as officials of the bank have been requested to reappear at the Justice Ministry.
Some legal brains are pondering as to why the government of Liberia has decided to request information on the accounts of those currently being victimized by the UN travel ban, instead of the United Nations who imposed the ban on the individuals.
Others see the move of the government as a means of getting at some former officials of the resilient NPP led government, what they refer to as 'witch hunting.'
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