– Group of 77 Director Ex-Provides Detailed Evidence Amid AREPT Rice Case
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia, Liberia – Wayfa F. Ciapha, former Executive Director of Liberia’s Group of 77 Disabled Center, has rejected allegations by the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) that she played a major role in the “mismanagement” of $500,000 Saudi rice donation. Ciapha has made available a comprehensive 48-page defense that traces every grain of rice through a rigid government approval chain involving the Vice President’s office, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), and the General Services Agency (GSA).
On Thursday, June 26, 2025, ex-Director General of the General Services Agency (GSA) Mary Broh, ex-Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, and a few other ex-officials were arrested and first taken to the Criminal Court C at the Temple of Justice, and later transferred to the Monrovia Central Prison where they were incarcerated for several hours but later released after securing human sureties.
This came after the Liberia’s Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT) and the Ministry of Justice disclosed that it had indicted Madam Wayfa F. Ciapha, former Executive Director of Liberia’s Group of 77 Disabled Center, and 14 former and current government officials for allegedly stealing 25,054 bags of rice donated by Saudi Arabia for disaster relief.
But Wayfa F. Ciapha has since claimed innocence.
“I did not steal or mismanage any rice. The rice was requested and given to the Group of 77 for distribution and it was distributed..I am not sure what they want from me…,” she tells this publication. In her June 9 response to AREPT’s May 26 summons, Ciapha—represented by attorney Sandra K. Howard—methodically dismantled the investigation’s core claim by demonstrating that her office merely followed protocols established by the Liberian government.
The process began when Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, in a July 20, 2023 letter, requested 3,000 bags of rice from NDMA to support 250 disabled beneficiaries, which was then reviewed by NDMA Executive Director Henry O. Williams and authorized by Internal Affairs Minister Varney Sirleaf before GSA Director General Mary Broh executed the actual releases.
Key Evidence Submitted:
The former Vice President’s signed letter (Ref: JHT/VP/LS/271/23/RL) explicitly initiated the process, directing NDMA to provide rice for Group of 77 members—a fact corroborated by subsequent NDMA and GSA correspondence. Documents show NDMA’s Williams forwarded the VP’s request to Minister Sirleaf on July 24, 2023, who then approved 1,500 bags—later adjusted to 1,293 bags after GSA’s partial deliveries.
Also, gate passes (Forms 012 and 013) proved that the GSA warehouse released the rice in two batches (700 and 593 bags) in July 2023, with Broh personally signing off. A December 2023 follow-up release of 260 bags was similarly documented. Meticulous logs listed 1,293 bags distributed to disabled recipients in 11 counties, including Montserrado, Nimba, and Grand Bassa, with each beneficiary’s signature, contact details, and receipt date recorded.
“At no point did my office independently access, approve, or distribute the rice,” Ciapha stated in her affidavit. “We acted solely as implementers of a process controlled by the VP’s office, NDMA, and GSA.” Her attorney emphasized that the Group of 77’s role was limited to submitting requests and distributing pre-approved quantities—a fact supported by the paper trail.
While Ciapha’s evidence accounts for 1,293 of the 3,000 bags initially requested, the whereabouts of the remaining 1,707 bags remain unclear. Her response notes that NDMA and GSA never fulfilled the full quota, leaving disabled communities underserved.
The rice, now under probe by the Liberia’s Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT) worth $425,918. It was meant for vulnerable communities in April 2023 but was illegally diverted through unauthorized meetings and falsified distributions.
The 14 other key suspects include ex-Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Varney A. Sirleaf – Former Minister of Internal Affairs, Mary Broh, former Director General of the General Service Agency (GSA), Thelma Sawyer – Former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs/Administration, Henry O. Williams – Former Executive Director, National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), and Augustine Tamba – Deputy Director for Operations, NDMA.
Others are: Augustine M. Kollie – Director for Disaster Victims, NDMA, Edward S. Konneh – Employee, NDMA, Archievego M. Doe – Communications Director, NDMA, Edris Bility – Former Deputy Director for Operations, GSA, Mamie Davies – Assistant Director, GSA, Momolu Johnson – Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs/Administration, Rosetta L. Gbassay Bowah – Logistics Officer, NDMA, and Evelyn Gbee – Warehouse Manager, GSA.
Charges include Theft of Property, Economic Sabotage, Misapplication of Entrusted Property, Abuse of Office, and Criminal Conspiracy. “Our investigation revealed that 25,054 bags of rice, valued at approximately USD $425,918, were unlawfully diverted by the accused. Instead of reaching the intended disaster victims, the rice was stolen through secret and unauthorized meetings, usurpation of NDMA’s statutory authority, and removal and distribution of rice without documentation or legal process. Some suspects have admitted to their roles, confirming a coordinated internal conspiracy and severe abuse of public trust,” AREPT discosed.
The investigation into Wayfa F. Ciapha’s role in the Saudi rice distribution traces back to her 2018 appointment as Executive Director of Liberia’s Group of 77 Disabled Center—a position she assumed under the direct authority of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor. Ciapha was was praised for her prior service in reorganizing the Group of 77 during Liberia’s 2003–2004 interim government.
