NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – The National Rural Women’s Structure of Liberia says it is innocent of any wrongdoing in the alleged mismanagement of the 2023 rural women’s fund and is calling on authorities to limit the case to officials of the Ministry of Commerce who controlled the money.
By: Geeplay Ezekiel Geeplay – ezekielgeeplay.105.5@gmail.com – Contributor
The statement follows an April 2026 indictment by the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT), which named seven people, including the Structure’s President, Kebbeh Mongar, and Josephine Greaves, whom AREPT identified as the former National Secretary General.
The Rural Women’s Structure disputes that claim. Officials say Josephine Handful Reeves has never served as National Secretary General. Chapter heads from 11 counties, led by Nimba County’s Annie Kruah and Sinoe County’s Sarah Kawea, said all positions within the Structure are elective. They explained that Reeves has only provided technical support on a pro-bono basis as a founding member of women’s organizations in Liberia.
As a result of the indictment, President Joseph Boakai suspended Reeves from her post as Assistant Minister for Research at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection. The Rural Women’s Structure is now calling on the President to reinstate her, arguing that she is not in any way connected to the alleged mismanagement of the rural women’s funds cited by AREPT.
“Josephine is not working with the Rural Women’s Structure as stated in AREPT’s claim. We are calling on the President to reinstate her to her post as Assistant Minister for Research,” the women said.
The Structure also objected to the inclusion of its President, Kebbeh Mongar, alongside Ministry of Commerce officials in the indictment.
“We received only what the Ministry of Commerce disbursed to us, and we have the records to prove it,” officials said. “We condemn the inclusion of our National President in the indictment.”
Different Financial Transactions
According to documents from the Structure, the 2023 budget earmarked US$1.8 million for rural women’s programs. The Structure said it received LRD 59 million, approximately US$300,000 at the government exchange rate, through cheques issued by the Ministry of Commerce between September 18 and 22, 2023.
The funds were intended for a project titled, “Building Community Resilience and Increasing Economic Opportunities of Women and Youth in Liberia.” The project aimed to support rural women across 15 counties through communal farming and village savings initiatives.
The Structure’s report shows that LRD 1 million was allocated to each district, with total amounts per county ranging from LRD 2 million to LRD 9 million. The group noted that Bomi County’s cheque was returned by Ecobank. It also stated that Nimba County received LRD 6 million, not LRD 9 million, and that none of the funds received by Nimba County were shared with Josephine Reeves.
County chapter heads confirmed receiving the funds and said the money was used for farming, village savings, and small business programs.
“My son, we received what was given to us by the Ministry of Commerce through our national office,” said Sarah Kawea, Sinoe County Chapter Head. “They told us about US$1.8 million, but later we received cheques of LRD 3 million for Sinoe. We used the money for our farms and village savings.”
Eleven county chapters said they submitted bank statements, copies of cheques, and expenditure reports to investigators.
“The National Rural Women’s Structure is a beneficiary institution, not the spending authority for the full US$1.8 million,” said Annie Kruah, Nimba County Chapter Head.
“If there are questions about the unaccounted balance, those questions should be directed to the institution that held and disbursed the funds,” she added.
The group is urging the Ministry of Justice and AREPT to separate the charges and focus on officials who managed the full allocation.
Different Financial Transactions
“We are pleased to report that a substantial amount of Fifty-Nine Million Liberian Dollars (LRD 59,000,000) was received from the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Commerce for the purpose of communal farming, and Nine Hundred Thirty-Four Thousand Seven Hundred Liberian Dollars (LRD 934,700) for operations,” the National Rural Women’s Structure said in a proposal, a copy of which is in the possession of investigators.
According to the proposal, the project objectives were aligned with Pillar One of the Pro-Poor Agenda, which focuses on reducing gender inequality in political, social, and economic life through government and partner-supported interventions in partnership with women’s groups and communities.
Under the utilization plan, the funds received by the 73 districts were intended to support one communal farm in each district, ranging between five and 10 hectares.
Montserrado County, with three districts, received LRD 3 million. Grand Bassa County, with five districts, received LRD 5 million, while Rivercess County, with two districts, received LRD 2 million. Bomi County received LRD 3 million, Lofa County LRD 5 million, and Nimba County LRD 9 million.
Sinoe County received LRD 3 million, River Gee County LRD 3 million, Grand Kru County LRD 2 million, and Maryland County LRD 3 million. Bong County received LRD 7 million, while Grand Gedeh, Grand Cape Mount, and Gbarpolu counties each received LRD 3 million. Margibi County received LRD 5 million, bringing the grand total to LRD 59 million.
AREPT charged seven individuals with theft of property, economic sabotage, misuse of public money, misapplication of entrusted property, and criminal conspiracy.
Those named include Mawine G. Diggs, former Minister of Commerce and Industry; Jedu J.N. Nuefville, Financial Controller at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Joseph Howard, former Senior Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry; Kebbeh Mongar, President of the National Rural Women’s Structure of Liberia; Elizabeth Sambula, President of the Liberia Marketing Association; Josephine Greaves, listed as former Secretary General of the National Rural Women’s Structure; and Kermue Borbor, Cashier at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
AREPT Chairman Edwin Klah Martin said investigations found that the defendants allegedly diverted the funds with criminal intent, depriving the intended beneficiaries and using the money for personal gain.
Under Section 3 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, liability for public money falls on the person or entity that received and controlled the funds. Section 3(4) states that if money is lost through misconduct or negligence, “the person is accountable for the sum, as if the person had collected and received it.”
From a legal standpoint, if the Rural Women’s Structure can prove it received and accounted for only the funds transferred to it, it may have grounds to seek separation from charges related to the larger allocation.
The National Rural Women’s Structure says it will continue to cooperate with the investigation and advocate for transparency and accountability in programs benefiting rural women.
