Container full of currency notes worth US$100M destined for Liberia Central Bank goes missing

An inquiry has been opened into the disappearance of newly printed bills worth nearly 100 million US dollars that was destined for Liberia’s central bank, Goerge Weah’s government has confirmed.

According to reports from Liberia, the investigation was launched August 8 following information the disappearance of containers and bags of moneys at the port and the international airport of the capital Monrovia that had just arrived.

"This government will leave no stone unturned to find those responsible for the act. It is confirmed by the investigation that the amount of the total money is 15 billion. Liberian dollars ($97 million, 83 million euros),”Information Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe told AFP.

This website has also learnt that officials who signed for the container on their arrival have been asked not to leave the country until they can give an account as to how the container got off the port and where it is kept.

“The Government has issued a security circular advising persons of interest who are required to assist with the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the importation of Liberian Dollar Banknotes into the country between November 2017 and August 2018 not to leave the country,” said a statement by the  Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.

An order has since been sent to the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), and the Liberia National Police (LNP) to ensure that former Central Bank Executive Governor, Milton Weeks and his deputy, Charles Sirleaf who is still employed at the Central Bank of Liberia do not leave the country until investigations into the mystery are  complete.

According to initial findings by government, the cash arrived between November 2017, when Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was still president, and August this year.

The current President George Weah took over in January.

"The current administration was not informed about the arrival of the containers and bags of moneys into the country," a statement by government said.