The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has terminated 46 employees over alleged falsification of hospital receipts to claim insurance benefits, Commissioner General Dorbor Jallah revealed Thursday.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism (MICAT) weekly press briefing, Jallah stated that employees had submitted fake hospital receipts to receive reimbursement from the LRA's health insurance fund.
He explained that when the current government took office, the national budget, prepared by the previous administration, had already been submitted to the Legislature. One of the new government's first actions was to recall the budget, review it, and resubmit it. The budget was finally approved in May last year, after which the procurement process for the staff health insurance contract began.
"Because the procurement process was taking too long, staff were not benefiting from health insurance, and they were complaining about getting sick," Jallah said. "Senior management decided to provide relief to staff. Under this arrangement, staff could take their dependents to the hospital, submit receipts, and be reimbursed until the insurance contract was finalized."
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The LRA boss said that while the money was included in the budget, it could not be given directly to the insurance company until the procurement process was completed. Staff were allowed to use the hospital services and submit receipts for reimbursement.
However, he said some employees exploited the system by submitting multiple falsified receipts for themselves and their dependents. "We noticed repeated receipts from the same individuals within a short period," Jallah said. After an internal review, the LRA's Professional Ethics Division discovered that some receipts were entirely fabricated. Both JFK, Hope for Women, and ELWA hospitals confirmed that the names on the receipts had never received treatment at their facilities.
Jallah added that the receipts were being falsified within the LRA and sold to staff for $20. "During the investigation, it became clear that several employees were involved," he said.
Following consultations with the agency's legal and ethics teams, the LRA suspended the 46 employees. Jallah emphasized that the action aligns with internal policies and labor regulations.
When asked if the Ministry of Labour was aware of the dismissals, Jallah said he had not received any formal communication but was willing to discuss the matter with them. "Until then, our action will remain as it is," he said.
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