Liberian officials convicted in Saudi rice corruption case

A jury at Criminal Court “C” in Monrovia has returned guilty verdicts against eight defendants in a high-profile corruption case involving rice donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT) described the verdicts as a milestone in Liberia’s efforts to protect public resources.

Among those convicted are former Foreign Affairs Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah and former Internal Affairs Minister Varney A. Sirleaf. Other convicted individuals include former Deputy Internal Affairs Minister Momolu Johnson, former General Services Agency Deputy Director Edris Bility, and four former officials from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA).

The case centered on the alleged misappropriation of 29,412 bags of rice, valued at approximately US$500,000, which were donated in 2023 to assist vulnerable Liberians and disaster victims. Investigations alleged that 25,054 bags were unlawfully diverted or misapplied. While eight defendants were found guilty, three were acquitted and two received inconclusive verdicts.