Liberia: Broh, Williams Arrested in $425k Saudi Rice Diversion

26 June 2025
The Liberian Investigator (Monrovia)
By Gibson Gee

MONROVIA — Former Monrovia Mayor and Director of the government's General Services Agency (GSA) Mary Broh and Henry O. Williams, executive director of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), have been arrested by Liberia's Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce in connection with the alleged diversion of over 25,000 bags of rice donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The rice, valued at approximately $425,918, was intended for victims of natural disasters across Liberia. According to the taskforce, the donation was instead diverted and distributed without documentation for what investigators described as "personal and political benefits."

Joseph Daniel, head of communications for the taskforce, confirmed the arrests in an interview with OK FM's Clarence Jackson. He said the indictments against Broh and Williams mark the first in a wave of prosecutions expected to target at least 17 high-profile corruption cases.

"These individuals held secret meetings and diverted the rice. There's no record of where it went," Daniel said. "This was a humanitarian gesture by the Saudi people that was grossly abused."

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The rice, totaling 29,412 bags, was donated in April 2023 by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. It was consigned to the NDMA and received through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then headed by Minister Dee Maxwell Kemayah. The donation was intended to support families affected by floods, fires, and other disasters.

At the time, the NDMA claimed it had pre-positioned approximately 5,000 bags in Bong County for emergency response. However, growing concerns about the accountability of the remaining rice led to a formal investigation by the taskforce.

According to Daniel, the indictment includes charges of theft of property, economic sabotage, and abuse of public office. He said the case was built over several months of investigation, adding that more arrests are imminent as authorities continue probing other corruption-related cases involving former officials.

Broh and Williams are expected to face trial under the current indictment. The Ministry of Justice and the taskforce are jointly working to trace the missing rice and any associated financial transactions.

Officials say additional arrests are expected in the coming weeks as the taskforce accelerates efforts to prosecute individuals implicated in the broader corruption probe.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.

Read the original article on Liberian Investigator.

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