LOFA COUNTY – Tensions are mounting in Lofa County following the indictment of Dr. Isaac P. Podah, President of Lofa County University (LCU), on multiple charges, including economic sabotage, theft of property, misuse of public funds, and criminal conspiracy. The indictment, filed during the court’s August Term A.D. 2025 and signed by Resident Circuit Judge Nancy Finda Sammy, names Dr. Podah, former LCU President Dr. Stephen K. Ngamai, Comptroller Peter Taylor, Vice President for Administration Danwolo B.S. Catakaw, Administrative Assistant C. Anthony Crayton, and several others as defendants.
According to court documents, the defendants allegedly “with criminal minds to commit a crime, purposely, knowingly, willfully, and intentionally, did conspire, collude, facilitate and did do and commit the Crimes of Economic Sabotage (Fraud on the internal revenue of Liberia); Misuse of Public Money, Property or Record; and Theft and/or illegal disbursement and expenditure of public money.” Prosecutors claim the charges stem from a systematic manipulation of the university’s payroll and finances.
A January 16, 2025 audit by the Comptroller and Accountant General reportedly revealed 13 ghost names on the university payroll for September 2024, amounting to $12,010. Six of these names belonged to former employees who had either resigned or were deceased. Despite these discrepancies, prosecutors allege that payroll disbursements continued unchecked.
“Between November 2023 up to and including September 2024, the total amount of illegal payments amounting to Forty-Eight Thousand Three Hundred Thirty-Five United States Dollars ($48,335.00 gross) were made to unspecified numbers of people with no employment record,” the court filing stated.
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), which brought the case forward, maintains that the acts of Dr. Podah and his colleagues were deliberate and left no room for defense. “The defendants have no affirmative defense for your acts or conduct contrary to the laws of the Republic of Liberia,” the court document declared. If convicted, the officials could face first- and second-degree felony penalties under Liberian law, which include lengthy prison sentences. The court is expected to set a hearing date in the coming weeks as the high-profile corruption case draws national attention.
The indictment has sparked outrage among residents, students, and staff, who claim the allegations tarnish the university’s reputation and are calling for swift accountability. Local leaders have urged calm while emphasizing the need for a full and transparent investigation into the matter.
So far, neither university officials nor county authorities have issued any public statements regarding the indictment or the growing unrest. With the community demanding answers, the case promises to be closely watched across Lofa County and could have far-reaching implications for the governance and financial oversight of public institutions in the region.
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