| Summary of the Case |
On April 14th, 2022, the LACC lifted a story from FrontPage Africa Online news Outlet Captioned
“US$1.1million of donor funds wasted/mismanaged by the Ministry of Health. According to the news
outlet, the Liberia Coordinating Mechanism (LCM) at the Ministry of Health acknowledged the
investigative report published on April 8, 2022, by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The
report released by the OIG highlights systemic fraud and misappropriation by the Ministry of Health,
a principal recipient of the Global Fund Grants and recommends that robust actions be taken by the
government of Liberia. Consequently, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission immediately utilized the open-source, obtained the investigative report and lunched a full-scale investigation.
Following extensive investigation and diligent legal proceedings, and pursuant to Section 5.1 and
5.2(d) of its 2022 Act, the Grand Jury of Margibi County sitting in its February Term, A.D. 2024 has
indicted twelve (12) persons to answer to the Crimes of Economic Sabotage, Theft of Property,
Tempering with Public Records, Criminal Felicitation and Criminal Conspiracy.
Those indicted were jointly and severally charged to answer to the above crimes which grows out of
Financial Improprieties and Kickbacks by Officials of the Margibi County Health Team (MCHT), in the
tone of US$188,978.86 from the USAID funded project intended to improve the Health Care Delivery
service of citizens of Margibi County. mong those named in the indictment are; Augustine N. Fannieh, former County Health Officer; Leroy Dorwazia, former County Health Services Administrator; Dornuu Horace, former Procurement Officer; William Johnson, County Logistic Officer; Roland Reeve, former County Finance Officer; Ernest Flahn, County Logistic Officer; and Thomas M. Bonard, County Diagnostic Officer. Others are Barkolleh Kollie, General Manager of M.J.K. Business Center; Vamuyen Traore, General Manager of Bio-Medical Link; A. Mohammad Dunor, General Manager of M.D. Capital Reliable Link; Odoshall Oldpa Karnue, General Manager of God’s Willing Inc.; and Momo K. Miller, General Manager of Children Father Business Center.
Four of the twelve officials have been cleared of charges. Two key former officials of the Margibi Health Team, Procurement Officer Dornuu S. Horace and Diagnostic Officer Thomas M. Bonard, were acquitted by the 9th Judicial Circuit Court of Bong County.The two men acquittal was as the result of a nolle prosequi ordered by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), effectively dismissing the case against them due to a lack of sufficient evidence to sustain the prosecution.
a Bill of Information was filed with the 9th Judicial Circuit on behalf of Vamayen
Traore, General Manager of Biomedical Link, for the resupply of medical materials and equipment
valued at USD $19,100.00. The court granted the Bill of Information, allowing co-defendant
Vamayen Traore to proceed with the resupply the materials and equipment to the Margibi County
Health Team.
The corruption case, which has implicated several individuals associated with the Margibi County Health Team, was initiated by the LACC. In February 2024, a Grand Jury in Margibi County indicted twelve individuals, including both former and current officials of the health team as well as local businessmen
The case was later transferred to the 9th Judicial Circuit Court of Bong County based on a motion prayed for by the prosecutor. |
| Nature of the Case |
Twelve (12) persons have been indicted to answer to the Crimes of Economic Sabotage, Theft of Property,
Tempering with Public Records, Criminal Felicitation and Criminal Conspiracy. Those indicted were jointly and severally charged to answer to the above crimes which grows out of Financial Improprieties and Kickbacks by Officials of the Margibi County Health Team (MCHT), in the tone of US$188,978.86 from the USAID funded project intended to improve the Health Care Delivery service of citizens of Margibi County. The case was transferred to Bong County for Trial. Meanwhile, four of the 12 defendants have been cleared of charges including two who restituted funds. |
