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By Lincoln G. Peters
Bypass, Monrovia, June 10, 2026 — Documents obtained by the New Dawn Newspaper Investigative Team allege financial misappropriation and breaches of the Public Financial Management Law and the Public Procurement and Concessions Law involving US$181,761 at the Bureau of State-Owned Enterprises (BSE).
In a communication dated June 1, 2026, and addressed to President Joseph N. Boakai and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, a group identifying itself as Whistleblowers and Concerned Citizens of the Bureau of State Enterprises accused Director General J. S. B. Theodore Momo and Deputy Director General for Administration and Finance Joseph Boye Cooper of financial impropriety, nepotism, and administrative malpractice.
According to the communication, state-owned enterprises made remittances to the BSE between November 2025 and May 2026 under the leadership of Momo and Cooper. The letter alleges that those funds were subsequently misapplied by the two senior officials.
The communication states that the remittances totaled US$181,761 and were supported by bank statements. It further alleges that there is no legal record of expenditures authorized under the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission-approved procurement plan, while basic office needs at the BSE remain unmet, including chairs, computers, and adequate working conditions.
When contacted for comment, Deputy Director General for Administration and Finance Joseph Boye Cooper received journalists at his office. Reporters said they were not allowed to enter with their phones, despite explaining the purpose of their visit.
Cooper spoke off the record about what he described as internal policy implementation and strategy, but declined to address the allegations on the record. He said the authors of the complaint should provide journalists with full financial records for review before he would comment.
He nevertheless denied wrongdoing, saying, “There is no corruption here. Those writing to the President and the LACC are afraid of the reforms we are instituting. These are distractions.”
The complainants also alleged that remittances were being diverted for political purposes, despite President Boakai’s repeated calls for public officials to prioritize national development over the 2029 election cycle.
They claimed that Momo and Cooper were aggressively collecting and pooling SOE remittances through the BSE to support future political campaign activities ahead of 2029.
On what they described as the unauthorized and unlawful use of SOE remittances, the whistleblowers alleged that state-owned enterprises made substantial undocumented payments to the BSE. They argued that any lawful expenditure of those funds should be governed strictly by an approved PPCC procurement plan.
They further alleged that whenever remittances were received, the BSE leadership devised ways to bypass that expenditure authority and redirect the funds outside the approved plan.
The complaint cites unauthorized activities and workshops costing thousands of dollars that were allegedly not included in approved spending plans. It further claims that while those funds were being spent, the bureau’s core operations were left without basic office equipment or functional workspaces.
The communication also alleges abuse of government property, stating that Cooper was assigned a new Toyota Hilux pickup less than a year ago and that the vehicle has been used for non-official, round-the-clock personal travel.
According to the complaint, the vehicle recently sustained significant damage on the driver’s side during one of those alleged unauthorized trips, and Cooper has denied responsibility for the damage. In closing, the complainants urged what they called timely intervention to restore transparency, accountability, and the rule of law at the Bureau of State Enterprises.
