-In House of Representatives Supplementary Payroll Controversy
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia, Liberia – A heated dispute has erupted between Bong County Representative Melvin Cole and Civil Service Agency (CSA) Director-General Josiah Joekai over allegations of a fraudulent supplementary payroll at the House of Representatives. The controversy stems from Joekai’s recent claim that former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa initiated an unauthorized payroll scheme that cost the Liberian government over $1 million.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Rep. Cole vehemently denied Joekai’s accusations, describing them as “misleading, malicious, baseless, and criminal.” He insisted that the supplementary payroll predated Koffa’s tenure as Speaker and was instead a legacy issue inherited from previous administrations.
“When we came into office, we met an existing supplementary payroll,” Cole stated. “The claim that it was created under Speaker Koffa is a lie.” He further accused Joekai of refusing to approve a reformed payroll that had eliminated ghost names—including deceased individuals and retirees—reducing monthly expenditures from $284,000 to $276,000.
Constitutional Clash Over Payroll Authority
The lawmaker argued that Joekai overstepped his authority by attempting to dictate payroll management at the legislature, a move Cole said violated Article 89 of Liberia’s Constitution, which grants the House autonomy over its internal financial affairs.
“Josiah Joekai had no legal right to interfere with the House’s payroll decisions,” Cole asserted. “His actions led to unnecessary confrontations between the legislature and the executive, requiring presidential intervention.”
Cole also referenced a December 6 Supreme Court ruling that declared certain actions by the current House leadership—under Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon—unconstitutional. He accused Joekai of continuing to collaborate with Koon’s administration despite the court’s decision, further undermining governance norms. “Joekai was approving payrolls for an illegal leadership,” Cole alleged. “Now, he has the audacity to accuse others of fraud while disregarding judicial rulings.”
Ghost Names and Unapproved Payment
Earlier in the week, Joekai had defended the CSA’s decision to reject a request from the 54th Legislature to increase its payroll from $284,000 to $327,000 monthly, citing lack of justification. He alleged that after the CSA’s refusal, the House created an unauthorized supplementary payroll that ballooned to $1.5 million per month, filled with ghost names and unvetted personnel.
“We terminated the illegal payroll, which triggered these false narratives from beneficiaries of the scheme,” Joekai stated. He dismissed claims of a missing $48 million as political propaganda, inviting independent audits to verify CSA records.
Meanwhile, Cole challenged Joekai to publicly identify individuals he claimed were on government payroll while organizing protests, arguing that political affiliation should not disqualify citizens from legitimate employment.
