“Not a dime was spent on K-Power” – Minister Ngafuan

Published: February 26, 2025

CAPITOL HILL – Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has vehemently denied reports that US$374,000 was allocated to Karpowership, the Turkish energy company operating in Liberia, under the 2024 National Budget.

His clarification came during a heated session in the Liberian Senate on Tuesday, where several senators, including Abraham Darius Dillon (Montserrado), J. Gbleh-bo Brown (Maryland), Augustine S. Chea (Sinoe), Wellington Geevon-Smith (River Cess), and Amara M. Konneh (Gbarpolu), raised concerns about the budget’s fiscal outturn.

Ngafuan: “Not a Dime Was Spent on Karpowership”

Minister Ngafuan dismissed claims that government funds were allocated to Karpowership, attributing the confusion to a technical mislabeling in the budget.

“Not a dime was appropriated for Karpowership, and the Budget Minister is sitting right here before me,” Ngafuan asserted. “Unless what she provided is untrue—which I hate to believe—Karpowership is not in the budget.”

He explained that the US$374,000 in question was actually directed to the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) to fund the repatriation of Liberian refugees in Ghana.

“You may wonder why Karpowership is appearing alongside LRRRC. The budget process is technical and sometimes leads to confusion, which may create misunderstandings,” Ngafuan said, claiming that an initial earmark for Karpowership was later reallocated to LRRRC due to the urgency of the repatriation program.

Senators Demand Clarity Amid Contradictions

Despite Ngafuan’s defense, senators were not convinced. Montserrado Senator Abraham Darius Dillon challenged the minister’s assertion, pointing to the official budget book as evidence that contradicts his explanation.

“So that we don’t appear to be making baseless accusations, let’s look at the facts,” Dillon countered. “The budget book is here, and it’s becoming even more confusing.”

Dillon highlighted that Karpowership is explicitly listed under budget code 0487, while LRRRC falls under code 0974, arguing that the two should not be conflated.

“If Karpowership was not in the 2024 budget, why does it appear in the fiscal outturn? This raises serious questions that demand further clarification,” he stated.

Maryland Senator J. Gbleh-bo Brown went a step further, calling for an official investigation into the matter. He dismissed Ngafuan’s explanation as misleading and insisted that only a thorough probe would establish whether funds were actually disbursed to Karpowership.

“The minister initially claimed the funds were removed from Karpowership due to pressure—yet here it is in the outturn. We need an investigation to establish the facts,” Brown emphasized.

Senate Orders Probe, Summons Finance Officials

With concerns mounting, Senate President Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence announced a preliminary investigation into the disputed budget entry. The Senate also placed Minister Ngafuan and his Deputy Minister for Budget and Development Planning, Tanneh G. Brunson, under oath, ordering them to reappear before the full Senate committee next Tuesday.