Published: December 30, 2024
MONROVIA — The House of Representatives is investigating Hilary Sackie, Deputy Controller of the Lower House and President of Paynesville FC, over allegations of placing individuals, including players from his football club, on the supplementary payroll.
A leaked copy of the payroll shows that three players from Paynesville FC and the club’s media officer are listed as employees with varying job descriptions and monthly salaries. Paynesville FC competes in the First Division of the Liberia Football Association (LFA) National League.
Supplementary pay refers to compensation provided by an employer in addition to an employee’s regular salary. The payroll indicates that players Mark Paye and Eugene Swen are listed as gardeners, each earning $350 monthly, and are recorded at positions #161 and #158, respectively. Goalkeeper Emmanuel Deanneh is listed as an office assistant, earning $300 monthly, at position #64. Meanwhile, the club’s media officer, Luke P. Joe, appears as a research officer, earning $350 monthly, and is recorded at position #108.
It remains unclear whether the listed individuals are actually receiving the stated amounts.
When contacted, Sackie confirmed the ongoing investigation but declined to provide further details. “The matter of the players is under investigation,” he said.
Before his appointment as Deputy Controller by embattled Speaker Fonati Koffa, Sackie served as Controller for several government entities, including the Liberia Maritime Authority, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism.
Despite Sackie’s confirmation of the investigation, the House of Representatives Press Bureau has yet to provide an official statement. Press Director Robert Haynes did not respond to multiple calls and text messages seeking clarification.
An experienced legislative reporter told The Liberian Investigator that supplementary pay is not legally sanctioned but is often used by lawmakers to assist constituents. According to the reporter, the amounts allocated for one individual on the payroll are sometimes divided among two or three persons.
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