MONROVIA – A sweeping financial intelligence investigation has implicated top officials of the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) in a sprawling LRD 9 million insurance kickback scheme and a parallel scam involving the sale of government-funded scholarships, raising serious concerns about systemic corruption in Liberia’s public education sector.
Leaked documents, including a confidential report from the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) and supporting bank records, reveal what officials describe as “grave” findings. The report, dated April 8, 2025, has been formally submitted to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), urging an immediate and thorough investigation into the actions of key MCSS personnel and private sector collaborators.
At the center of the scandal is Sonita Dangan, an MCSS staffer, whose Sapelle International Bank (SIB) account was used to funnel suspicious funds linked to inflated insurance premiums facilitated by Kabineh Keita of Sky Insurance. According to the FIA, the scheme was allegedly orchestrated with the full knowledge and involvement of MCSS Superintendent James A. S. Momoh, who is also accused of benefiting directly from the illicit transactions.
The investigation uncovered that Dangan’s bank account, which had remained dormant for two years, was reactivated in September 2024. Within days, the account began receiving large cheque deposits totaling over LRD 8 million from Keita. “These cheques are highly suspicious,” wrote FIA Officer-in-Charge Mohammed A. Nasser, adding that there is no evidence of a legitimate business link between Dangan and Sky Insurance. The agency suspects the funds were kickbacks for inflated insurance contracts.
Between November and December 2024, Dangan withdrew over LRD 5 million in cash, leaving a balance of just LRD 181,035.51 by March 2025. The FIA also flagged efforts by Dangan to conceal her financial activity, noting that she had used a different account for salary payments while the suspicious SIB account lay dormant.
Equally troubling is the revelation that a scholarship program intended to support MCSS teachers’ studies in India was manipulated for personal gain. The FIA report alleges that scholarships were sold to individuals with no affiliation to MCSS, with each recipient charged US$920 for travel expenses already covered by the Liberian government. The funds were never accounted for by the institution.
Superintendent Momoh is identified as a key figure in both fraudulent operations. The FIA asserts that he played a central role in coordinating the insurance scheme and monetizing the scholarship program, potentially receiving indirect benefits from both.
Further investigation revealed that several of the individuals currently studying in India under the MCSS scholarship initiative were never employed by the school system, directly contradicting official claims made by the institution’s leadership.
At present, none of the individuals implicated in the scandal, namely Sonita Dangan, James A. S. Momoh or Kabineh Keita, have been arrested or formally charged. Nevertheless, the Financial Intelligence Agency is urging the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission to take immediate action, warning that any delay could lead to the destruction of evidence and further misuse of public funds.
