Liberia’s Ex-President Ellen Sirleaf

A Liberian court on Friday issued arrest warrants for the son of the country’s ex-president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and more than 30 former central bank officials in connection with $104 million which disappeared en route to the bank.

According to a court document released on Friday, former bank governor, Milton Weeks and Sirleaf’s son, Charles, were among those ordered arrested. Weeks, who is currently cooperating with investigators has however denied any knowledge of the missing cash.

The court said it had information that the named individuals planned to leave Liberia and ordered that they be presented before the Honourable Court to answer to criminal charges levelled against them by the ‘Republic of Liberia’.

Last week, the country’s justice minister, Frank Musa Dean said the government had sought help from the United States in investigating the whereabouts of the cash which is equivalent to nearly five percent of Liberia’s GDP.

On Tuesday, the country’s Information Minister, Eugene Nagbe said several shipments of freshly printed Liberian dollars ordered from abroad by the country’s central bank have been unaccounted for since they passed through the country’s main ports in November 2017 and August this year.

News of the money’s disappearance, with cabinet members giving differing versions of events sparked outrage in the West African country, prompting politicians and pressure groups calling for more transparency.

The hashtag #BringBackOurMoney is currently trending on social media and a new Hipco song, a Liberian form of hip-hop titled ‘Bring Our Container Back’ has become a popular request on Liberian radio stations.