NDMA Witness Tells Court 5,000 Bags of Saudi-Donated Rice Never Reached Gbarnga Hub

By James T. Brooks

MONROVIA — A county coordinator for the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) testified before Criminal Court ‘C’ on Tuesday that a 5,000-bag shipment of Saudi-donated rice allegedly dispatched to the agency’s Gbarnga regional hub was never received.

The testimony came during the ongoing trial of former Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah and several co-defendants. When asked how he was certain the shipment never arrived, the witness told the court, “Because I was there.”

A second prosecution witness, Isaac K. Weede, chairman of the Lakpazee Community in Sinkor, also testified that his community never received any portion of the Saudi rice donation, adding that he was unaware of anyone in the area receiving such relief.

Former Minister Kemayah and his co-defendants face multiple charges, including theft of property, economic sabotage, misuse of public money, property or records, misapplication of entrusted property, abuse of office, and criminal conspiracy. The prosecution is being led by the Ministry of Justice alongside the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce, chaired by Cllr. Edwin K. Martin, with Presiding Judge Ousman F. Feika presiding over the case.

The trial centers on 29,412 25-kilogram bags of rice donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in April 2023 to assist vulnerable and disaster-affected Liberians. According to the taskforce, 25,054 bags—valued at approximately US$425,918—were unlawfully diverted, misapplied, or distributed without authorization. Kemayah has repeatedly denied the allegations, maintaining that he neither stole, received, nor personally benefited from the relief consignment.

Testifying about operations at the Gbarnga warehouse, the NDMA coordinator explained that he began volunteering with the agency in 2022 before officially assuming duties as county coordinator in July 2023. He stated that the largest single allocation delivered to the hub during the period in question was 280 bags.

He detailed specific deliveries, including an 80-bag consignment allocated for a disaster in Zota District and a 200-bag delivery intended for flood-affected residents in Gbarnga, which he said was taken directly to the communities for immediate distribution. He also cited response efforts in areas such as Civil Compound, Frog Island, and Brooklyn.

During cross-examination, defense attorneys challenged the basis of his testimony regarding the missing 5,000 bags and pressed for details on who allegedly authorized the dispatch. The court sustained several prosecution objections to those questions. Pressed further on inventory levels, the witness confirmed that when he took charge of the warehouse, no rice was in stock, and subsequent shipments were distributed rapidly, often on the day of arrival.

The witness also outlined the NDMA’s standard distribution procedure, explaining that field officers collect data from affected communities to identify victims, distribute the aid based on those verified lists, and require beneficiaries to sign receipts upon delivery.

Taking the stand next, Weede testified that he has resided in Lakpazee for over 40 years and has served as community chairman since May 2016. He reaffirmed a written statement previously submitted to taskforce investigators, who had visited his home to inquire whether any food relief had been brought into the community. The court formally admitted the statement into evidence.

Weede explained that Lakpazee is divided into seven blocks, each managed by a block leader. Under standard community procedure, official relief deliveries prompt a leadership meeting to inform residents before distribution begins.

Under defense cross-examination, Weede acknowledged that block leaders were not present when he gave his statement to investigators and that he was not physically present in every block at all times. However, he maintained that as chairman, any substantial relief distribution within the community would have been brought to his attention.

The defense also questioned Weede regarding a reported fire in the Zinc Camp area that allegedly claimed the lives of a handicapped man and his wife. Weede stated he could not verify that specific incident without further details, noting that the only fatal fire he recalled occurred in Block E around 2012 or 2013—prior to his tenure as chairman—which killed a woman and her two children.

Alongside Kemayah, other defendants named in the indictment include former Deputy Foreign Minister Thelma Sawyer, NDMA officials Augustine Tamba, Augustine Kollie, and Henry O. Williams, as well as several logistics and warehousing personnel.

All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Proceedings continue before Judge Feika.

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