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.
The group has meanwhile, called on authorities to limit the case to officials of the Ministry of Commerce, who controlled the money.
The women’s statement follows an April 2026 indictment in which the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) named seven people.
Those named are the Structure’s President, Kebbeh Mongar, and Josephine Greaves, who AREPT listed 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 of the 15 counties, led by Nimba County Annie Kruah, and Sinoe County Sarah Kawea, said, all positions in the Structure are elected.
They women said, Madam Reeves has only provided technical support on a pro-bono basis as a founding member of women’s organizations.
As a result of the indictment, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai suspended Madam Reeves from her post as Assistant Minister for Research at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
The Rural Women’s Structure, has therefore, called on the President to reinstate Madam Reeves on grounds that she is “not in any way a party to the Rural Women funds” that has been mismanaged according to the 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.”
The Structure also objected to including Madam Mongar, along the Ministry of Commerce officials in the indictment.
“We received only what the Ministry disbursed to us; we have the records to prove it. We condemn the inclusion of our National President in the indictment.”
According to documents from the Structure, the 2023 budget earmarked US$1.8 million for rural women’s programs.
The Structure says, it received L$59 million, about US$300,000 at the then government exchange rate, through cheques the Ministry issued between September 18, and 22, 2023.
The funds were for a project titled: “Building Community Resilience and Increasing Economic Opportunities of Women and Youth in Liberia.” The project was to support rural women in the counties with communal farming and village savings activities.
The Structure’s report shows L$1 million was allocated to each district, with total amounts per county ranging from L$2 million to L$9 million.
The group noted that Ecobank returned Bomi County’s check (no reason stated).
It also said Nimba County received L$6 million, not L$9 million, and that none of the funds received by Nimba were shared with Madam 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 the Ministry of Commerce gave to us through our national office,” said Madam Kawea, Sinoe County Chapter Head.
She added: “They told us about US$1.8 million, but later, we received cheques of L$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 Structure is a beneficiary institution, not the spending authority for the full US$1.8 million,” said Madam Kruah,
She added: “If there are questions about the unaccounted balance, those questions should be directed to the institution that held and disbursed the funds.”
The group has there, urged the Ministry of Justice and AREPT to separate the charges and focus on officials, who managed the full allocation.
Source: By Geeplay Ezekiel Geeplay
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