Prominent lawyer and former Solicitor General of the Republic of Liberia Tiawan Saye Gongloe is calling on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to give a full public accounting of the financing behind the newly built US$6 million Foya Presidential Center, warning that unclear funding sources threaten public trust amid Liberia’s escalating drug crisis.
In a strong worded commentary released Sunday August 17, 2026, Gongloe asked six direct questions about the project: Was it funded through National Legislature appropriations, the Mano River Union, State-owned Enterprises, private donors, foreign governments, or illicit proceeds that entered the chain?
“Mr. President, where did the money for the construction of the approximately US$6 million Foya Presidential Center come from?” Gongloe wrote. The veteran Liberian lawyer was careful to state that he is not accusing President Boakai of using drug money.
“There is presently no established evidence upon which such an accusation can responsibly be made,” he said. “Foya deserves development, and Liberia needs facilities that can support regional cooperation, diplomacy and peace-building.”
His concern he said, is the lack of a clear, documented and independently verifiable explanation. “Conflicting public statements citing the Mano River Union, private contributions, and later calling it a “Government of Liberia project have fueled suspicion,” Gongloe added.
The commentary comes weeks after Liberian authorities seized a massive cocaine shipment worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Gongloe said the seizure proves criminal networks can operate in Liberia and raises legitimate questions about whether illicit funds can enter legitimate projects.
“That does not establish any connection between the cocaine seizure and the Foya project, but it makes it reasonable to ask whether the source of funds for major projects has been properly verified,” he noted.
Gongloe also referenced President Boakai’s own radio comments that he was initially unaware of the project, arguing that now that it bears the president’s name, transparency is in his own interest.
The LPP Standard-bearer urged four key institutions to follow the money. He urged the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to audit any public funds used, including appropriation authority, contracts, payments, and recipients. He also called on the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) to trace non-budgetary funds, beneficial ownership, and screen for suspicious transactions or money laundering, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to investigate possible conflicts of interest, abuse of office, and undisclosed benefits in procurement and the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) to verify that the contracting followed legal process.
“The question is not whether the President personally participated in any illicit activity,” Gongloe concluded adding, “The question is whether any illicit proceeds entered the financial chain used to construct the facility. That question should be answered by competent institutions, not by political statements.” As of press time, the Executive Mansion had not issued a detailed response.
