Did Ngafuan Transfer Us$400,000?

New Democrat (Monrovia)
AllAfrica aggregates reports from Africa's news media.
This is an article from the Liberian press

January 20, 2012

Shortly prior to his appointment Thursday as Foreign Minister designate, Mr. Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, while acting as Finance Minister, refuted as "untrue" allegations that he transferred US$400,000 to a Liberian government scholarship student abroad. A local daily and radio station this week accused Mr. Ngafuan of "fraudulently" transferring US$400,000 to Arthur W. Fomba, former deputy minister of Finance for Expenditure, now pursing graduate studies at Harvard University on government scholarship. The report also claimed that Mr. Ngafuan was being probed at NBI (the National Bureau for Investigation) concerning the matter.

But Mr. Ngafuan told a press conference Thursday that the report was "completely untrue", adding, "I have transferred no dime to Mr. Fomba." "We are public servants but nobody should think that because we are public servants, he/she has the right to play with our reputations like football. Let me say that the allegation is completely untrue," he stressed. He said Mr. Fomba is amongst several employees from the finance ministry currently benefiting from its capacity building program aim at strengthening human resources at the ministry and the nation at large.

Ngafuan: "Mr. Fomba is on a scholarship. The MOF has an agreement with him that upon completion of his studies, he would have to return and work for the government of Liberia. He is not the only one, other employees have also benefited from the program." Mr. Ngafuan explained that he is not permitted in his capacity as minister to transfer money to Mr. Fomba or any other employee studying abroad. Mr. Ngafuan explained that he is not permitted in his capacity as minister to transfer money to Mr. Fomba or any other employee studying abroad.

"In fact, the entire obligation of Mr. Fomba including living expenses, school fees, I don't think it's up to US$100,000 and the Ministry of Finance don't transfer money in one chunk like that," he insisted. Meanwhile, Mr. Ngafuan said he was contemplating a lawsuit against the two media entities that reported the speculation about him.