–Leaked E–Mansion Report Hints
Two senior officials of the National Housing Authority – NHA are caught red-handed in a reported ‘criminal sale’ of public lands belonging to the entity. They are the Deputy Managing Director for Technical Services at the NHA, Alex Reily, and the Deputy Managing Director for Administration, Prince Bonnah.
According to a leaked Executive Mansion report, on July 23, 2024, the NHA Management was alerted of a clandestine transaction that involved Mr. Reily (Deputy Managing Director for Technical Services) and the Seventh Day Adventist Church in New Georgia Estate Community, with the reported exchange of LRD110,000.00 (One Hundred and Ten Thousand Liberian Dollars) and the dubious issuance of the institution’s official receipt depicting his signature and stamp (Serial number 7501) in the space provided for a cashier’s signature, dated July 5, 2024 with the amount LRD90,000.00 (Ninety Thousand Liberian Dollars).
A complaint from the New Georgia SDA Church discloses that the same NHA Deputy Managing Director for Technical Services again requested an additional amount of LRD20,000.00 (Twenty Thousand Liberian Dollars) from the church, an amount that was not receipted.
From the leaked investigative report, it is confirmed that a Deacon from the New Georgia SDA Church who paid the amount reported that the (Deputy for Technical Services) called him to the office and promised to resolve an existing land conflict between the church and the community.
The report further confirms that during the investigation, Mr. Reiley admitted receiving the money from the church through the Deacon in the name of the NHA, though not authorized by the Management.
Further investigation about the possession of the receipt book proves that the receipt book was wrongly taken from the office of the Facility Manager, whose supply indicates a missing receipt book with serial number (7501 – 7549).
In this case, the report indicates that the NHA Deputy Managing Director for Technical Services was ordered by top Management to return the receipt book that was unlawfully used to execute the dubious transactions, but he failed to comply.
On the other hand, on August 27, 2024, the National Housing Authority Management was informed of another undercover deal regarding an attempt to sell a land in the Zayzay Community, Paynesville, with the exchange of US$1,500.00 (One Thousand Five Hundred United States Dollars) with receipt (Serial number 7514) depicting the signature and stamp of the Deputy Managing Director for Administration, Prince Bonnah, in the space provided for a cashier’s signature.
Throughout the investigation, it was established that the receipt was issued to one Mrs. Famatta Wesseh, who reported giving the said amount to the Deputy for Technical Services again because of a promise he made to sell a house spot or land to her outside of NHA arrangement.
However, according to Mrs. Wesseh, the land in question was not turned over to her; therefore, she had to alert the police for the retrieval of her money.
Nevertheless, the NHA Human Resource Manager intercepted the lady and appealed to revert to a peaceful settlement, at which time she reported the matter to the NHA Management.
According to the investigative report, both Deputies admitted to collecting the money and were ordered to return the entity’s receipt book, which they were using to carry on their clandestine public properties sales.
There are reports of more sales of public properties by these two senior NHA officials since they assumed office in gross disregard to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s public commitment against corruption and the Code of Conduct for public officials.
During a further investigation on Thursday, 30 January 2025 by a team of journalists at a couple of NHA sites in Logan Town, Bushrod Island, and the Zayzay Community in Paynesville, several residents of the areas corroborated the allegations of public lands sales by both Deputies.
Particularly in the Logan Town community, an eminent resident identified as Paul Kerkulah told reporters that between 3 – 4 acres of public land situated in the Babylon community have been sold out to individual residents by the two NHA officials.
Mr. Kerkulah and other Logan Town dwellers are alarmed that the NHA properties are sold through two other focal persons who work with the Township.
Both Township staff whose names were not disclosed are reportedly being used to search and market the NHA public lands through the reported influence of the Deputy Managing Director for Administration, Prince Bonnah, and Deputy Managing Director for Technical Services, Alex Reily.
In response to the allegations, the NHA Deputy Managing Director for Administration, Prince Bonnah, confirmed on Thursday, 30 January 2025 that he’s a resident of the Logan Town community, as such, he cannot get himself involved in the sale of any public land belonging to the entity in that area.
Mr. Bonnah explained that at no time had he ever sold public land outside of the NHA arrangement. The NHA Deputy Managing Director for Administration admitted knowing Madam Famatta Wesseh, who according to him, worked for the entity, but denied having any transaction with her in the name of the entity.
When asked about the issuance of what appears to be a dubious receipt to Madam Wesseh in the name of the NHA, Mr. Bonnah also denied that it is not his signature on the receipt (Serial number 7514), though he did not say whose signature it is.
For Mr. Reiley, he described the leaked E – E-Mansion investigative report linking them to alleged public land sales as news to him, denying knowledge of such an act.
Meanwhile, Advisors to the office of the President are recommending through the leaked investigative report that the accused NHA officials be reprimanded ranging from suspension to dismissal.
