MONROVIA: The former management team of the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) is struggling to fan off what it calls “continued unabated smear campaign” unleashed on it by its successor in an apparent attempt to “publicly malign, demean and discredit”.
Estelle Liberty Kemoh, Former Director General, LBS, for and on behalf of the erstwhile Management team, on May 15, 2024 submitted a complaint letter to the Chairman of the Board of the public broadcasting, drawing his attention “to a continued unabated smear campaign to publicly malign, demean and discredit me and members of my erstwhile Management Team by Mr. Eugene Fahngon, Director General of the Liberia Broadcasting System, including his repeated public rants that we left the LBS in a ‘bad shape’”.
Madam Kemoh told Information Minister Jerelimik Piah in a communication that “on Wednesday May 15th, 2024, a day after the celebration of national Unification Day, Mr. Fahngon called a one-hour live press conference attended by multiple media outlets on national radio, television and social media (Public/State platform & medium), alleging that our administration had squandered/misappropriated financial resources, leaving the entity in filthy condition and pursued a system of what he called ‘modern day slavery at the LBS.’”
She said these are grave allegations that not only border on her reputation and integrity, but are intended to cast aspersions and damage her high earned reputation and standing in the eyes of the public both nationally and internationally.
The former LBS boss averred that the status of US$100, 978.37 was left in the system’s operating accounts as of her departure from office on 22nd January 2024, the prime focus of Mr. Fahngon’s live press conference and other related matters, is opened for review and scrutiny.
“Any drawdown on that amount going forward from the date of our departure, for whatever purposes, including the sustained operations of LBS Monrovia and Seven (7) Outside or otherwise, can only be accounted for by those left in charge at the time, including the current management at LBS,” she further argued.
She added: “The LBS, like any operating entity, has Business and Accounts offices that carry out various activities and transactions which are recorded in different financial statements, classified under broad headings, – assets, liabilities/debts, equity, revenue, expenses, etc.”
Mrs. Kemoh further described her successors’ allegations against her and them as grave and will not be taken lightly but can only be verified, corroborated and/or authenticated through a commissioned audit via the authorized agency of government – the General Auditing Commission (GAC) or the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), in line with transparency and accountability and not a mere live press conference, “solely intended to destroy our standing in society”.
She warned that “anything short of this process that hinges on our reputation and integrity, we will be left with no alternative but to pursue the appropriate legal recourse against Mr. Fahngon and the LBS management.”
For the record, the former LBS director told Minister Piah in the communication, which copies were addressed to Speaker J. Fonati Koff and Legislative Committees on Information and Broadcasting, that she and her erstwhile team take pride in their stewardship and the remarkable transformation they left at the LBS.
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