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ADNews-Monrovia: The Director General of the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA), Christopher Sankolo, has vehemently dismissed media reports alleging financial mismanagement and irregularities within the agency, calling the accusations “false propaganda.”
By Edwin Chea
Sankolo, however, expressed his openness to an audit and emphasized that the institution is committed to transparency.
Recent online reports have claimed that financial mismanagement has occurred within LACRA, particularly citing a leaked 2024 General Auditing Commission (GAC) audit report. According to the report, $354,510 in export royalties allegedly went unaccounted for in financial records between September 2024 and February 2025. The claims have caused tensions between senior management and cocoa export companies involved in the trade.
The leaked reports also accused LACRA’s taskforce of harassing cocoa exporters, demanding payment for operational permits, and engaging in extortion.
In an exclusive interview with Afric Daily Newspaper on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, Director Sankolo vehemently denied the allegations. He described the reports as “propaganda” from individuals within the agency who are opposed to the institution’s reforms.
“These are mere fabricated stories, far from the truth,” Sankolo said. “They are the actions of people who want to undermine the proper steps we are taking to ensure the right things are done.”
While refuting the financial mismanagement claims, Sankolo acknowledged internal disagreements within LACRA but chose not to name the staff involved, citing ongoing investigations by the LACRA board.
“To set the record straight, when we took over, we identified significant revenue leakages involving some exporters and certain staff members,” Sankolo explained. “We decided to conduct an internal review of export records, which led to some friction within the institution.”
Sankolo revealed that the investigation had uncovered reports of irregularities, including staff members allegedly colluding with exporters. He also disclosed information regarding the smuggling of six containers of cocoa—over 300 tons—into the market, which would have resulted in substantial lost royalties.
“We couldn’t sit idly by as there were so many compromises,” Sankolo said. “We decided to conduct an internal review, and when we announced our actions, the Deputy for Operations stopped answering my calls. It’s been frustrating.”
Addressing the leaked audit report that indicated a shortfall of $354,510 in export royalties, Sankolo expressed his openness to an independent audit. However, he pointed out that no audit had been conducted at LACRA since 2023, prior to his appointment in April of that year.
He further revealed that when he assumed leadership of LACRA in April 2023, the agency’s bank balance was a mere $470. Under his administration, that balance has grown to $700,000.
Sankolo’s comments aim to clarify the agency’s stance and assure the public that steps are being taken to address internal issues and safeguard the institution’s integrity.
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