Monrovia – Mr. Sekou Dukuly, the managing director of the National Port Authority (NPA), is widely regarded among members of the ruling Unity Party as an advocate of good governance, openness, and transparency.
By Selma Lomax, Webster Clayeh and Jahiem Tumu
Mr. Dukuly often highlights his business success in speeches and printed literature, emphasizing his numerous affiliations and accomplishments. However, two checks obtained by FrontPageAfrica raise questions about his transparency.
Conflict of Interest Concerns
The two checks, one for $38,500 and the other for $15,000, were issued to Labor Minister Cooper Kruah’s Henries, Kruah & Associate Law Firm, totaling $53,000 for “court-related matters.” Legal experts suggest that this action, involving a government employee, violates professional standards.
The funds were compensation for defending the NPA in a case involving 10 employees dismissed by Mr. Dukuly, who had filed for “unlawful dismissals” at the Sixth Judicial Circuit Law Court at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia on March 29, 2024.
Mr. Dukuly did not respond to a WhatsApp message or phone call from FrontPageAfrica on Wednesday. He has been accused of unlawfully dismissing some of the workers he met there to create room for partisans of the Unity Party.
Cllr. Kruah has been associated with conflict of interest issues when he served in the Weah-Taylor administration as Minister of Post and Telecommunications. Investigation conducted by The Daylight showed that Kruah held five percent of the shares in Universal Forestry Corporation (UFC), a mining company operating in Nimba County and other parts of the country. According to the firm’s legal document, Before Kruah’s appointment, the company had held a few logging concessions. However, the company began to acquire a flurry of mining licenses after he became the Postmaster General.
Krua was first nominated by President Joseph Boakai as Minister of Justice, but following public outcry over his questionable records in the legal fields, his nomination was withdrawn and he ended up as Minister of Labor.
Unethical Practices of Cllr. Kruah
Before his nomination was withdrawn, an investigation by FrontPageAfrica revealed that Cllr. Kruah was found guilty of unethical practice as a lawyer by the Grievance and Ethics Committee of the Supreme Court of Liberia.
Between 2011 and 2012, Kruah served as a lawyer for the Mano River Agriculture Rehabilitation & Development Corporation (MARDCO) and won a case involving the corporation and Mr. Edmondo Trombetta. According to MARDCO, Kruah received US$108,941.65 on behalf of MARDCO for the proceeds of MARDCO’s rubber from the Republic of Sierra Leone that was sold in Liberia by the civil law court. However, Cllr. Cooper Kruah allegedly diverted US$58,814.08 into his personal account.
MARDCO filed a complaint against Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah to then Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor at the Supreme Court of Liberia on June 24, 2014. The legal proceedings were conducted through the Grievance and Ethics Committee of the Supreme Court, which found Cllr. Kruah guilty of unethical practice and recommended that Chief Justice Korkpor enforce their findings and recommendations. MARDCO claims that Korkpor failed to enforce the judgment due to his personal relationship with Cllr. Kruah. However, Kruah claimed that he paid the money.
Accusations and Counterclaims
Recently, Mr. Dukuly criticized his predecessors for their lack of contributions during a Ministry of Information press briefing, where he presented a symbolic $2 million check to the Government of Liberia as the NPA’s contribution to the General Revenue Account. He claimed that during the last six years under former President George Weah, the NPA contributed $4 million to government revenue.
Mr. Bill Tweahway, who headed the NPA during President Weah’s tenure and is now a Senator of River Cess County, rebuffed Dukuly’s claims, calling them politically motivated and inaccurate.
Twehway’s Response
Senator Twehway urged Mr. Dukuly to focus on his duties rather than attacking his predecessors. He stated that the NPA contributed $3.5 million in just three months during his tenure and a total of $5.5 million in one fiscal year.
Fact-Checking and Verification
Local Voices Liberia, a network countering misinformation, reviewed financial statements published by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning. They found that during President Weah’s administration from 2018 to 2023, the NPA contributed $9.5 million to the National Budget, contradicting Dukuly’s claims.
The financial discrepancies and accusations between Mr. Dukuly and his predecessors raise significant concerns about transparency and governance within the NPA. As the controversy unfolds, it highlights the importance of accurate financial reporting and accountability in public administration.
