Protesters ask George Weah about missing millions

Monrovia, 29 Jan. - (ANA)  - Protesters in Liberia are demanding President George Weah release the report of investigations he launched in September into how $100m (£76m) worth of Liberian currency allegedly went missing.

In March, stories emerged that the newly printed bank notes intended for the central bank did not reach their destination.

The notes allegedly vanished from containers in the main port in Monrovia and airport.

The government ordered an investigation, and President Weah also asked the US for help with the inquiry.

Now student protesters are chanting on the streets of the capital demanding that Mr Weah release the report.

One of the main organisers, Martin Kollie, said on the Monrovia radio talk show, The Costa Show on Roots FM, that the student community wanted the president to release the report of investigations into the “missing” money.

The protests come a few hours before the footballer-turned president delivers his State of the Nation address marking one year in power.

The deputy press secretary to the president, Smith Toby, said the president was “upbeat” about his address and it was going to happen as planned at 16:00 local time.

He urged the protesters to listen to what the president will have to say in his address instead of protesting ahead of the speech.

Mr Toby told the BBC that none of the groups investigating the matter had submitted a report to the president.

He wondered why the protesters were not pressuring these groups to make their findings public.

Mr Toby said the president is himself interested in the outcomes of the investigations and has promised to hold to account anyone found to have been involved the alleged disappearance of the money.  - (ANA) -

AB/ANA/ 29 January 2019 - - -