MONROVIA, December 7 (LINA) - The Senate Committee on Internal Affairs has placed hold on the confirmation hearing of Sinoe County Superintendent-designate, Romeo Quiah, due to corruption charges levied against him by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).
The decision was taken Monday following concerns raised by Rivercess County Senator Dallas Gueh about Quiah’s alleged misapplication of over US$800,000 from the Sinoe County and Social Development Funds.
Gueh pointed out that the “nominee, as alleged, lacks public trust and proper management of taxpayers’ resources, and as such, he must face the court of competent jurisdiction to prove his innocence or guilt before appearing for further hearings.”
The Chairman of the Committee, Armah Jallah, revealed that he could not act upon an earlier notice from some individuals because they were unsigned.
According to a document in the possession of LINA dated December 4, 2014, and addressed to the Internal Affairs Committee, the Sinoe Citizens for Accountability and Equal Representation, under the chairmanship of Isaac Nyenkan, opted for the rejection of the nominee because he is not “credible and trust-worthy.”
However, in an interview with reporters shortly after the committee’s decision, Quiah noted that he was innocent of the allegation, adding, “This is witch hunting.”
Jallah however urged all those having claims against the candidate to submit said documents in or before Wednesday, December 10, to enable the committee make further move into the confirmation hearing.
In documents labeled, Final Report/LACC case # 00120 (Sinoe County), and the General Auditing Commission report dated November 2014, Quiah is quoted among other things, as revealing to the investigation committee that he and former Superintendent Milton Teahjay signed a few checks both as category A, and issued them in the interest of the county.
According to the report, Quiah denied knowledge of the budget law that prohibits two signatories of the same category on a single check, and that he did not know that such regulations existed at the banks at the time the accounts were established.
LINA