Published: November 10, 2025
Totota, Bong County – The Grievance Committee representing victims and survivors of the tragic Totota tanker explosion has rejected a financial report outlining the expenditure of donated funds and relief items, alleging it was “tampered with.”
The deadly explosion, which occurred on December 26, 2023, in Totota, lower Bong County, claimed more than 70 lives and left dozens injured after a fuel tanker crashed and exploded at a time many residents of the community had gathered on a fuel fishing expedition. The incident remains one of the deadliest in Liberia’s recent history.
Speaking to journalists following the presentation of the report, Clinton Brown, chairman of the Grievance Committee, condemned the document as incomplete and unaccountable, alleging that funds meant to support victims and survivors were misused. ““A 21st-century financial report can’t be like this,” Brown said, accusing members of the Financial Committee of diverting portions of the money for personal use.
Although he did not cite evidence suggesting that the committee diverted the funds to their respective personal use, he emphasized that the report lacks details and does not acknowledge all the individuals and organizations that contributed to the situation.
Brown further alleged that most affected families shunned the presentation ceremony due to what he described as the heavy presence of the Police Support Unit (PSU), claiming the officers were deployed to intimidate them.
“They brought PSU to intimidate us. Many people ran away, and that’s why attendance was so low,” he stated. He lamented that survivors were denied access to the financial report prior to the official presentation the lack of an opportunity which he said prevented them from raising questions regarding the usages of the money intended to benefit them.
Brown, who lost his son in the explosion, told reporters that he was denied to speak during the event, an act he described as a deliberate attempt to silence the Grievance Committee. The accused committee was established by the National Legislature to oversee the fair and transparent distribution of donations made to the victims and families affected by the tragedy. During the official presentation ceremony over the weekend, Bong County Senator Prince K. Moye disclosed that the total amount of funds and items donated amounted to L$10.8 million and US$12,000, with President Joseph Boakai being the single largest contributor. Senator Moye attributed delays in presenting the report to lack of certain details and pledged to return to the community to address the people’s concerns after thoroughly reviewing the report.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Samuel A. Stevquoah admitted that the report was incomplete and promised to deliver a copy to President Boakai for review. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting the victims, noting that the first donations of L$10 million and 200 bags of rice were the President’s initial contributions.
For her part, Bong County District #6 Representative Maima Briggs Mensah, who also serves on the financial committee, dismissed allegations of embezzlement. “People said I ate the money which was on the mobile account. If I ate the money, let God send calamity upon my family,” she declared.
The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, Bong County Legislative Caucus, Ministry of Health, Liberia National Police, local authorities, and residents of Totota.
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