–Mary Broh Threatens Legal Action Against Assets Recovery Taskforce
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia – Madam Mary Broh, the former Director General of the General Services Agency (GSA), has vowed to take legal action against President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s Assets Recovery Taskforce, accusing them of defamation and unjustly linking her to criminal conspiracy in connection with an investigation into rice during her tenure.
Speaking to local media on Thursday, Broh expressed frustration over what she described as a baseless and politically motivated attack on her reputation. She revealed that she had cooperated fully with the task force, providing critical documents to aid their investigation—only to be accused of wrongdoing in return.
“It is so laughable, it is so sad that you have an appointed agency by the president of the Republic of Liberia, witch hunting. This is the last person they will find corrupt. You can take it to the bank and at the end of the day I will sue somebody,” she said:
Broh suggested that the task force was overstepping its mandate, targeting individuals without proper evidence. “You need to see the letter they have been sending me, and I warned them,” she said. “They don’t know what they are doing, and if they are not careful, people will sue them.”
Defending Her Role in Rice Saga
The former Boss of GSA clarified her involvement in the controversial rice matter, explaining that she and her former deputy, William V. Dakel, were instructed to assist in storing the rice after it was discovered that it wasn’t going the right way. “Dakai and I were asked to bring that rice in,” she recalled. “They needed our intervention because the rice was going to different places, and we knew nothing about rice being procured. We don’t know where it came from. We were only asked to bring it to our warehouses.”
Her statement implies that the rice in question was not procured under her authority but rather placed under GSA management by higher authorities. “If I Were Guilty, Why Provide Evidence?” Broh challenged the logic of the task force’s accusations, pointing out that she had voluntarily submitted documents to aid their investigation—a move she argues an guilty party would not make.
“They are right because I provided them with documents that they are using now. They didn’t have one piece of paper. If I was guilty of doing something else, was I going to provide them with documents?”* she said. “You don’t play with me. I will sue them.” Howbeit, the Assets Recovery Taskforce has not commented on Madam Broh’s concerns.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, in early 2024, issued an Executive Order, purposely to identify and recover corruptly acquired looted public resources by Liberian leaders, especially during the presidency of George Weah. The enforcement of the Executive Order #126 was temporarily interrupted by a Supreme Court’s stay order.
The case arose from a petition by Madam Finda Bundoo, former President Weah’s Chief of Protocol, challenging the constitutionality of the Executive Order. Bundoo is also the owner of the controversial Gracious Ride Incorporated, (petitioner), a transport services provider—whose fleet of vehicles the task force tried to seize—prompting the legal tussle that halted the activities of the taskforce.
However, the Supreme Court on Tuesday, February 18, handed the government of President Joseph Boakai a major victory, ruling unanimously that his Executive Order #126 creating the office of the Assets Recovery does not violate any constitutional provision.
The temporary suspension of the taskforce’s activities followed the challenge by Madam Bundoo, who claimed that only the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) had the statutory authority to seize and recover stolen assets, and not a presidentially appointed committee.
