Monrovia — Allegations of corruption may be swirling around the suspended Director-General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Madam Emma Metieh Glassco — but documents reviewed by The Liberian Investigator, coupled with procedures outlined by the World Bank, paint a different picture: one governed by tight financial controls, robust procurement oversight, and virtually no room for fraud.
Glassco, once hailed as one of Liberia’s rising technocrats for her leadership in revitalizing Liberia’s fisheries sector, is now at the center of a high-profile corruption investigation launched by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).
At the center of the allegations is the management of US$3.1 million provided by the World Bank under the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project (LSMFP) for the construction of NaFAA’s new headquarters on Bushrod Island, Monrovia.
The LACC’s Investigation
In a letter dated March 17, 2025, and signed by the chairperson of the LACC Cllr. Alexandra Zoe, Madam Glassco was informed that the Commission had commenced an investigation into alleged acts of financial impropriety, including procurement fraud, under her leadership.
She was summoned to appear before LACC investigators at the Commission’s headquarters on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, accompanied by her legal counsel and all relevant procurement and financial documents associated with the headquarters project.
The LACC cited growing concerns over whether the World Bank funds were utilized in compliance with procurement laws and guidelines outlined in the Project Implementation Manual (PIM) of the LSMFP.
However, an extensive investigation by The Liberian Investigator has uncovered evidence suggesting that the World Bank’s financial management and procurement systems governing the project are among the most stringent in international development financing.
Procurement Procedures Leave Little Room for Fraud
Documents reviewed by The Liberian Investigator show that before any procurement or expenditure could take place, NaFAA’s Project Implementation Unit (PIU) was mandated to review draft plans, provide feedback, and finalize agreements with implementing departments.
These included the Annual Work Plan Budget (AWPB) and Procurement Plan (PP), which were subsequently submitted to the World Bank Task Team Leader (TTL) for review and approval.
Once reviewed, these plans required the endorsement of the National Project Steering Committee (NPSC), comprising representatives from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Ministry of Agriculture, NaFAA, and other stakeholders.
Crucially, final authorization for procurement activities could only be granted following a formal “No Objection” clearance issued by the World Bank.
This process, industry experts say, ensures transparency and mitigates against potential fraud.
“If you understand the layers of clearance involved, you’ll realize that funds from the World Bank are practically ring-fenced,” a senior official familiar with the World Bank told The Liberian Investigator on condition of anonymity. “Without a ‘No Objection’ from the Bank, nothing moves.”
Payments for the project were not processed by NaFAA directly. Instead, all financial transactions were managed through the Project Financial Management Unit (PFMU) at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
“The World Bank takes seriously our obligation to ensure that Bank funds are used for clearly defined activities for the benefit of the people and communities we serve.”
World Bank
STEP Platform Provided Real-Time Monitoring
Adding to the layers of transparency, procurement activities — including the US$800,000 already spent on the headquarters project — were uploaded to the World Bank’s Systematic Tracking of Exchanges in Procurement (STEP) platform.
This system enables real-time monitoring of procurement activities by the Bank’s oversight teams.
As of the time of publication, no procurement activity related to the NaFAA headquarters project had triggered any “red flag” or objection from the World Bank, The Liberian Investigator gathered.
World Bank Responds to Allegations
The Liberian Investigator posed the following questions to the World Bank:
- Could the World Bank confirm whether all procurement activities related to the NaFAA Headquarters construction were indeed conducted in line with the Bank’s standards and under your oversight, as outlined in the LSMFP Component 4?
- Was there any deviation from the approved procurement plan, and if so, did the Bank raise any concerns during implementation?
- Has the World Bank conducted or commissioned any independent audit or verification specifically focusing on the US$3.1 million allocated for the NaFAA Headquarters construction? If yes, could you share the findings or at least confirm whether irregularities were observed?
- Given that the General Auditing Commission (GAC) reportedly found no issues of concern in its audits of the project to date, how does the World Bank reconcile this with the current allegations of procurement fraud?
- Has the Bank been formally notified or requested to cooperate with the investigation currently being led by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC)?
- Is the World Bank undertaking any internal review in response to the current controversy surrounding this funding?
In response to the inquiries from The Liberian Investigator, the World Bank confirmed that its projects in Liberia are governed by strict policies and guidelines designed to ensure proper use of funds.
“The World Bank takes seriously our obligation to ensure that Bank funds are used for clearly defined activities for the benefit of the people and communities we serve,” the Bank stated in a response on April 9.
The World Bank, however, declined to speak on the ongoing LACC investigation.
“If you understand the layers of clearance involved, you’ll realize that funds from the World Bank are practically ring-fenced,” a senior official familiar with the World Bank told The Liberian Investigator on condition of anonymity. “Without a ‘No Objection’ from the Bank, nothing moves.”
No Adverse Audit Findings from GAC
The General Auditing Commission (GAC), Liberia’s supreme audit institution has, since the inception of the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project in 2018, conducted annual audits of the project — including a review of expenditures related to the headquarters construction.
To date, no audit report issued by the GAC has flagged concerns regarding mismanagement or fraud within the project.
It is worth noting that on September 12, 2022, the Ministry of Finance wrote to Mr. Khwima Nthara, the then-World Bank Country Manager for Liberia, requesting restructuring of some components of the LSMFP. The restructuring was accepted and eventually paved way for the purchase of a vehicle for NaFAA for the use of the project.
Experts Say Procedural Lapses Possible, But Fraud Unlikely
Development experts familiar with World Bank systems argue that while procedural lapses or documentation errors are not impossible, outright fraud — as alleged — would require a high-level conspiracy involving multiple oversight bodies.
“It is extremely difficult for someone to manipulate World Bank project funds without detection,” a Monrovia-based development consultant told The Liberian Investigator. “Even if there were procedural missteps, that’s a far cry from procurement fraud.”
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