It was a chaotic time on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 as regular session of the “Majority Bloc” – the group was disrupted for several minutes as members of that august body and observer including journalists were pepper sprayed. The incident, according to our legislative reporter, occurred during the appearance of some top government officials, who had gone before members of the bloc to answer to allegations of bribery. As the witnesses, who included Internal Affairs Minister Francis Sakila Nyumalin, Transport Minister Sirleaf Tyler, and Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) Managing Director Mo Ali faced a barrage of inquiries regarding claims of bribery. But during their testimonies, the entire room was filled with a pollution of noxious fumes, prompting lawmakers, journalists, and observers to cough profusely. It reported that the pepper spray was used by a group of men wearing red face caps. It was reported that despite initial efforts to top the “intruders” from entering the joint chamber, which is currently being used by the Majority Bloc, the pepper spray was still used. The situation then led lawmakers and observers to struggle for breath as the room was all smoky amid a sudden power outage. The PA system was at the same time silenced. Even though the identities of these attackers remains unknown, this has triggered major concern about the safety and security of legislative proceedings, especially so for members of the “Majority Bloc.” However, on the heel of this unfortunate situation, the session continued as lawmakers remained resolute in questioning the invited government officials. Accordingly, the accused officials were summoned to answer to allegations of funds from the Ministry of Transport and LWSC funneled into a scheme designed to buy support for the removal of Speaker Koffa. This investigation, which has drawn the attention of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), has sent shockwaves through the political sphere, with many questioning the integrity of both the executive and legislative branches. Appearing before members of the “Majority Bloc,” Mr. Mo Ali, the LWSC Managing Director, described the allegation of bribery as baseless, stating that the LWSC has at no time in point offered $150,000 in bribes to Members of the House. “We operate with strict financial controls,” Ali stated, emphasizing that no such funds had been misappropriated. He further offered to provide detailed financial records, including bank account histories, to support the corporation’s innocence and called for a swift, transparent investigation by the LACC. Also in his testimonies, Mr. Sirleaf Tyler, Transport Minister, similarly l denied the claims, thus describing it as false and misleading. He asserted that Transport Ministry has at all times lived up to the highest standards of financial management, complying fully with Public Financial Management (PFM) laws. Minister Tyler maintained that the Ministry’s financial operations are rigorously audited, noting that they maintain three separate accounts and are fully supported by the Ministry of Finance. “We urge the LACC to review all communication records,” he said, “and we call for full transparency to clear our name.” The Transport Minister disclosed that he has endeavored to decentralize its operations in the coming year, aiming to increase revenue generation across the country, adding: “We have exceeded our revenue targets, and we are focused on the future.”