MONROVIA – The dismissed Managing Director of Liberia’s lone international Airport, Roberts International Airport (RIA), Bishop John Allan Klayee, along with four other suspended officials of government, have been slammed with travel ban, Women Voices newspaper has learned.

Sources from the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), who prefer remaining anonymous for this report, confided in Women Voices over the weekend, that the travel ban placed on the men, stems from suspicion of corrupt activities that they may have been involved into at their various places of work.

The sources disclosed that Monrovia City Court Stipendiary Magistrate, Jumah S. Jallah, on 13 August 2021, through a writ of NE EXEAT REPUBLICA, placed a travel embargo specifically on two of the men; suspended Buchanan Sea Port Manager Charles McArthur D. Gull and his Chief Statistician and Acting Financial Manager, Amara Kamara, as a result of an application filed by LACC’s chief prosecutor, Cllr. Jerry Garlawulo, praying the Court for a writ of NE EXEAT REPUBLICA against the individuals.

A writ of NE EXEAT REPUBLICA is issued to effectively prevent a person from leaving the court’s jurisdiction. It is directed to the sheriff, reciting that the defendant in the case is indebted to the complainant, and, that he designs going quickly into parts without the state, to the damage of the complainant, and then commanding him to cause the defendant to give bail in a certain sum that he will not leave the state without leave of the court, and for want of such bail that the sheriff, do commit the defendant to prison.

The rest of the individuals affected by the travel ban are two other suspended officials, including Duannah Kamara, Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC); and RIA’s Chief Financial Officer, George D. Yuoh, according to LACC’s sources, although a Court document Women Voices newspaper is privy to, only lists the suspended manager of the Buchanan Sea Port and that entity’s Chief Statistician and Acting Financial Manager, Amara Kamara .

But, according to a statement released over the weekend by the LACC, the travel restriction was placed on five individuals; Bishop Klay, Duannah Kamara, Charles D. Gull, Amara Kamara, and George D. Yuoah, by a court in Monrovia, indicating that the court has instructed that state security forces stop the one dismissed and four suspended officials of government from leaving the country, as they undergo corruption investigation.

It can be recalled, President George Weah, in early July, with immediate effect, dismissed the presiding Bishop of the Jubilee Praise and Worship Center, Bishop John Allan Klayee, as Managing Director of the RIA, for what the Executive Mansion initially attributed to administrative reasons.

But later, why President Weah actually dismissed his clergy friend Bishop Klayee, was hinted by deputy presidential press secretary, Smith Toby, when he inferred that the President’s decision to have dismissed the Bishop is hinged on matters of accountability and transparency, as well as administrative ineptitude.

Deputy presidential press security Toby at the time made the disclosure minutes after it was announced that the Jubilee Praise and Worship Center Bishop was sacked, when he (Toby) addressed reporters assigned at the Executive Mansion, with Toby indicating that in line with authority vested in him, as Head of State, President Weah fired Bishop Klayee in the interest of good governance and in the interest of his leadership.

Toby noted that the Liberian leader’s decision to have sacked Bishop Klayee was indicative of what he called the fact that performance and accountability remain very cardinal under the administration of President Weah.

“The President, on this morning, as part of his authority vested as Head of State of the country and of course, as Commander-In-Chief of the country, has again taken some administrative decision in the interest of good governance and of course, in the interest of his leadership; owing to the fact that performance and of course accountability remain very key under this administration of President George Manneh Weah, and duty and working in the interest of the Liberian people also remain a very key priority of this administration,” Toby said at the time.

President Weah’s deputy press secretary added that Bishop Klayee’s dismissal signifies that President Weah is leaving no “stone untouched”, stating that by sacking the Bishop, it amplifies the Liberian president’s quest aimed at ensuring accountability and good performance in his administration.

“That signifies that the President is leaving no stone untouched in his drive for making sure that accountability, performance, and of course that people can account for their stewardship at their places of work,” Toby maintained, adding, “And that is to say the President will hold people accountable for administrative ineptitude.”

However, a little over a month after President Weah out-rightly dismissed Bishop Klayee, as managing director of the RIA, the Liberian leader has also suspended the entity’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO), George D. Yuoh.

The Executive Mansion announced last Thursday, that President Weah’s axe has again fallen at the RIA, this time, with a suspension action taken against George D. Yuoh, Chief Financial Officer of the RIA.

According to the Executive Mansion’s statement, Yuoh was suspended indefinitely on Thursday, August 12, 2021, for administrative reasons.

Similarly, two of the men slammed with the recent travel ban, Buchanan Sea Port Manager, Gull, along with his Chief Statistician for Out-station Ports and Acting Financial Manager, Kamara, were in July suspended with immediate effect without pay, for “alleged financial impropriety.”

Recent reports indicate that the suspended manager of the Buchanan Sea Port, Gull, has confessed to investigators, to have siphoned over half a million United States dollars of public funds and deposited same into a private bank account he secretly opened.

Additionally, on 10 June, President Weah, with immediate effect, suspended Duannah Kamara and his deputy, Sensee J. Morris, as managing director and deputy managing director respectively, of the LWSC, and the Liberian leader ordered an immediate audit of the entity and the pair.

The Executive Mansion stated at the time that Duannah and his deputy were suspended following reports of disturbances and allegations of corruption at the LWSC, adding that both men shall remain suspended pending a full scale investigation, with President Weah instructing the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to have conducted an immediate investigative audit, and report to him within 30 days.

Women Voices newspaper is yet to establish whether or not the GAC has concluded its investigative audit and clear the LWSC’s suspended deputy managing director Morris of any wrongdoing, or why is it that he is not among individuals listed for travel ban, over corruption suspicion.

Meanwhile, reports are emerging that one of the men recently listed for travel ban, Buchanan Sea Port suspended manager, Gull, has absconded the country.

Women Voices newspaper has not verified the authenticity of the reports of Gull’s escape, but it’s being widely believed that Gull, over the weekend escaped the country using Liberia’s border with neighbouring Sierra Leone, and that he’s headed for the United States of America.

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