MONROVIA – The Senate Committee on Transport yesterday held confirmation hearing for the nominee for the position of Director General of the Liberia Airport Authority(LAA), Darlington Karnley in what was seen an uphill task for him amid conflicting CVs and academic discrepancies unearthed by the lawmakers while putting his credentials under thorough scrutiny.
Early signs that Mr. Karnley will run in hot waters was when he was asked to introduce him and the Senator began taking closer look at his Curriculum Vitae submitted and comparing it with the previous one publish by the Presidency through the Executive Mansion Website, www.emansion.gov.lr.
Whereas the previous CV stated that he graduated from the then Cuttington University College (CUC), but now Cuttington University (CU), majoring in Theology, the new version he submitted to the Senate stated that he did “Partial Economics”, apparently meaning that he did not complete the studies. Also his earlier claims of being a candidate for a Master’s degree in Aviation Management from the Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Philadelphia disappeared for a certificate in Avionics.
At the time of his appointment on May 4, 2022, the Presidency ran an impressive CV on his education and the claim of cognate work history and experience that many saw as the right pick for the job that was made vacant after President Weah dismissed Bishop Allen Klayee, former Managing Director for administrative reasons.
“The new LAA Managing Director presently works at Boeing, America’s leading aircraft manufacturer as Avionics Tech Specialist Manager, managing all installations, inspection, test, adjust, or repairs avionics equipment, such as radar, radio, navigation, and missile control systems in aircraft or space vehicles.
“The new LAA Managing Director presently works at Boeing, America’s leading aircraft manufacturer as Avionics Tech Specialist Manager, managing all installations, inspection, test, adjust, or repairs avionics equipment, such as radar, radio, navigation, and missile control systems in aircraft or space vehicles. He is also an Aviation Maintenance Technician in Airframe and Powerplant.
“Mr. Karnley, comes to the portfolio with a rich background in the field of Aviation and is a Master Degree Candidate in Aviation Management from the Aviation Institute of Maintenance in Philadelphia”, the release from the Executive Mansion said.
However, his confirmation hearing on Monday, August 22, 2022 gave an otherwise picture of who really the man put forward for the plum job is and it became known that he may have been nominated in error.
In response to a question from Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, Co-Chairman of the Committee whether he has read the act that created the Liberia Airport Authority, especially the academic and professional requirements for the Managing Director, he responded in the affirmative, but while admitting that he has got no first degree, he met the other requirements such as his “technical expertise and professional background”. However his cited technical and professional experience where he referred to himself as an “engineer” did not match to what was later on discovered from his CV and oral responses from him.
“Though I do not have a first degree, my other qualifications as an engineer and long work experience in managerial positions for more than 10 years are enough to qualify me to occupy the position”, he said with confidence.
Asked how could he reconcile the difference between the two CVs, one published by the Presidency and the other submitted by himself, he said the only CV he knows is the one he submitted himself and that he is not working with any other institution or did not give his CV to any institution for circulation besides the one he presented to the Senate. The Senate did not however take his response lightly, believing that he was not telling the truth because there was no way the Presidency could send out a CV that he did not know about.
While Senator Milton Teahjay put up a defense for him that having done 190 credits in his technical school which he equates to a Bachelor’s degree and has worked as an “avionics specialist at Boeing Airlines, the job that was also found not to be true, he should be confirmed, Senators Edwin Melvin Snowe, Prince Moye and Steve Zargo told their fellow colleagues that they will not vote for him because they were not convinced that he possessed the requisite
qualifications and experience to do the job.
The hearing came to a close and Karnley was informed that he will get the response from the senate after all members of the committee might have made their inputs and forwarded the same to the appropriate authorities.