Liberia: Ex-NOCAL Official: Legislature Demanded ‘Lobbying Fees’

Apr 8, 2015 | Bettie Johnson, Front Page Africa
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The bribery case involving ex officials of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NCAL) continues to bring some internal dealings to the surface. Statements from several indictees in the case have revealed that the alleged bribery that they are now being prosecuted for was initiated by members of the then 52nd Legislature, some of whom are still members of the current legislature. The statements issued by the indictees, some of which are in the possession of FrontPageAfrica states that the Legislature authorized the secret financial dealings calling it ‘Standard Requirement to expedite the ratification of the oil agreements and the new oil law.

The former Chairman of the Board of Directors of NOCAL Clemenceau Urey in his statement to the Liberian Anti-Corruption (LACC) investigators stated that lawmakers requested payment of ‘lobby fees’ from NOCAL as prerequisite to signing any agreement with oil companies. “After the agreements were submitted to the National Legislature, we were shocked and disgusted to receive messages from various members of the Legislature that the payment of lobbying fees was a standard requirement to be paid in order to have agreements ratified by the Legislature,” Urey stated.