The Daily IIJ

Liberia’s Justice Minister, Cllr. Philip A.Z. Banks
Photo (Heritage Newspaper- Monrovia)

The House of Representatives has mandated its committees on National Security, Judiciary, Banking and Currency to investigate the expenditure of the controversial five hundred and eighty thousand two hundred United States Dollars(US$508,200.00)confiscated from a Nigerian national identified as Valentine Ayika in 2006 at the Roberts International Airport(RIA) by the Liberian Government.

Recently, Justice Minister Cllr. Philip A.Z. Banks confirmed the confiscation of the US$508,200.00 by the government and indicated that the money is being used for national security operations. According to him, the government confiscated the money from Ayika through the order of the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Assizes “C” for Montserrado County on grounds that the owner brought the money illegally.

The Justice Minister disclosed the confiscation of the money followed its seizure at the RIA by state security after it was discovered that the owner had plastered the huge money on his body. Among other things, the Justice Minister added that the confiscation and the subsequent usage of the money were done with the acquiescence of the Nigerian Government.

But during a debate on the matter in plenary, members of the House of Representatives argued that the expenditure of the money was done without budgetary approval.

The decision of the House to order a probe into the expenditure of the money in question was triggered by a formal communication by Montserrado County District #9 Representative, Moses Saah Tandanpolie.

Representative Tandanpolie, in his communication dated April 29, 2009, called on his colleagues to prevail on Justice Minister Banks and Central Bank Governor Miles Jones to provide clarity on why the money was expended outside budgetary approval.

Among other things, the Montserrado County lawmaker insisted in his communication that the two officials of government show cause why they should not be made to restitute the money for allegedly flouting budgetary procedures.

Meanwhile, the committees on National Security, Judiciary, Banking and Currency have been given one week to present findings of the investigation to plenary, which is the highest decision making body of the House of Representative.