Liberia: Czech Investors Accuse Protem Chie of Interference in US$5M Theft Cases

Political interference and corruption in Liberia’s justice system have had a profoundly negative impact on the judiciary and are undermining the credibility, efficiency, productivity, trust, and confidence of the public and foreign investors.

One such interference case involved the Pro-tempore of the Liberian Senate, Albert Chie, who has been accused of shielding Senate Secretary Nanborlor Singbeh from arrest and prosecution in a US$5M theft case.

Chie is accused by two Czech investors claiming that he interfered with cases involving the alleged diversion of $5 million in cash and mining equipment meant for a Czech-owned mining company, MHM Eko Liberia. The investors, Martin Miloschewsky and Pavel Miloschewsky express frustration over the perceived shielding of Singbeh, whom they label a “fraudster.”

The investors express their discontent with the state of justice in Liberia and Senator Chie's supposed interference. Notably, a stipendiary magistrate has confirmed Senator Chie's alleged prevention of Singbeh's arrest.

The case has remained unresolved since 2020, with the delay attributed to the intervention of Senator Chie. The duo expressed their discontent with the Judiciary and the Pro-tempore in a WhatsApp message addressed to their Attorney-In-Fact. The message was sent on Saturday, January 13.

In the WhatsApp message addressed to Attorney-In-Fact Hans Armstrong, a British national, the Miloschewsky brothers said, “Absolutely, there is no justice in Liberia." Even the lack of justice in Liberia and Senator Chie's interference is confirmed by Stipendiary Magistrate Victoria Worlobah Duncan of the Kakata Magisterial Court in Margibi County.

Magistrate Worlobah issued an arrest order on Tuesday, September 10, 2019, where Singbeh and Karel Schor, a Czech Republic national were accused by the Czech investors of illegal sale of heavy-duty earth-moving equipment (caterpillars) and heavy-duty trucks worth about US$650,000. 

The equipment was part of the US$5 million cash and mining equipment transferred by the Miloschewsky brothers to Singbeh, who by then was their partner and 30 percent shareholder in the MHM Eko Liberia.

Magistrate Duncan then instructed her court sheriff and some officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) to accompany the sheriff to arrest Singbeh, who had refused to honor the court’s numerous invitations to answer to the accusation.

Surprisingly, Senator Chie, according to Magistrate Duncan, prevented Singbeh's arrest and only managed to write the Magistrate on the back of his call card with an excuse. A Copy of Senator Chie's written comment on a call-card on September 12 reads, “Your Honor, Victoria Worlobah Duncan, I confirm that the Secretary of the Senate has been served the writ and will appear.

This controversy unfolds amid recent sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of State on Samuel Tweah, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, and Senators Albert Chie and Emmanuel Nuquay for alleged involvement in corruption, including activities in the mining sector.

The sanctions are being imposed under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023, highlighting the U.S. commitment to combating corruption on a global scale.

The sanctions come as a response to allegations that Tweah, Chie, and Nuquay allegedly abused their public positions by soliciting, accepting, and offering bribes to manipulate legislative processes and public funding, including activities in the mining sector.

The immediate family members of the designated individuals, including spouses Delecia Berry Tweah, Abigail Chie, and Ruthtoria Brown Nuquay, as well as Tweah and Nuquay’s minor children, are also included in the sanctions.