Liberia: Whistle Blower in Bong Mines Hospital U.S.$50k Alleged Corruption Saga Calls Impartial Investigation

Monrovia — Mr. Allison Tubah, the man who unearthed a massive corruption scheme at the Bong-Mines Hospital in Bong County, has formally written the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) requesting an independent and impartial investigation into what he calls "broad day stealing" of US$ 80,000.00USD from government funds.

In his communication dated March 13, 2023, Mr. Tubah claimed that the money was intended for the renovation of the Bong Mines Hospital, but was unthinkably diverted into personal use by three former officials of the hospital and their top-notch operatives at the Health Ministry.

He named the individuals involved as, Dr. Popka G. Zayzay (Medical Director), Mr. Alvin Sirleaf (Administrator) and Mrs. Massa Jusu Mulbah (Accountant), all of whom assisted by unnamed cronies at the Ministry of Health.

Though he didn't name any individual at the Health Ministry, but Mr. Tubah believes the LACC investigation could help in uncovering their names.

Mr. Tubah: "In view of my explanation above, I am calling on the LACC to launch an investigation into this matter as it is contained in the findings/recommendations of the IAA audit and bring the actual perpetrators to book for broad daylight stealing of hospital money."

"In April 2021, while sitting in my office performing my official duty as a Civil Servant/Procurement Officer, I received a call from my supervisor, (Mr. Alvin Sirleaf), Administrator of Bong Mines Hospital about a deposit made in the account of the hospital. "When I got to his office, he informed me that some money has hit the hospital's bank account but said money was not for the hospital. I asked him how much was the amount and he told me 80,000USD. I was shocked and dismayed when he said eighty thousand USD because earlier on we had planned and budgeted for the very same eighty thousand."

When asked how the money is not for the hospital, he said to me that his bosses from the Ministry of Health sent the money to the hospital to be send back to them. When I asked him what about the eighty thousand we earlier planned and budgeted for, his answer was "that one will come later after we send this one back. We talked back and forth and I told him that I don't believe it and I will not be part of anything funny that will put me in trouble tomorrow, " he narrated.

According to Tubah, as he pressured his boss with questions about his suspicion surrounding the money, he (the Hospital Administrator) promised to get back to his bosses who gave him the instruction and get back to him, Tubah, later.

"Two days later, I was called into his (Mr. Sirleaf) office again where he issued me threats, saying his bosses gave him strict instructions to send back their money and he had no choice but to force me to comply or lose my job," Tubah continued.

The whistle blower said during the conversation with his boss, he managed to press the record bottom on one phone in order to have their conversation on record because of the threats issued him.

He promised to make the recording available when needed in order to substantiate his claim.

"After his threat, Mr. Sirleaf went to the Medical Director's office to complain that I was not cooperating. The Medical Director (Dr. Pokpa Zayzay) later called me to his office and when I entered the office I similarly recorded our discussion," he noted.

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