MONROVIA – The Liberian fishing sector had long merited the epithet of ‘moribund state-owned enterprise’ until the advent of the George Weah administration which providentially placed as Director General Madam Metieh Glassco whose leadership provided the magic wand that turned the entity into a spiraling agency or a major government success story if not cash cow. But as ‘government changed hands’—Unity Party replacing the Coalition for Democratic Change—the resultant political back-blast hit all other sectors, including the fishing sector, ultimately NaFAA and its progressive boss. Amid the conundrum, Glassco was forcefully whisked off with a suspension sentence by the Boakai administration over alleged improprieties. But, as The Analyst reports, it seems international partners, mainly the World Bank, that catalyzed the reform and growth of the agency don’t share the “political actions” of the Unity Party government.
Suspended Director General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Madam Emma Metieh Glassco, has got some relief from the choking attempts by the Joseph Nyuma Boakai administration to drown her into allegations of corruption thereby wrecking her cherished legacy as one who worked for the resurrection of the Liberian fishing sector from the abyss of neglect and squalor to a viable, meaningful public enterprise.
Contrary to grounds being plowed by the administration to suspend Madam Glassco, one of the chief funder of the NaFAA, the World Bank, is saying something else – that its robust accountability mechanisms used to police the operations of programs at NaFAA are against excesses for which the corruption allegations are flying over the suspended DG.
It all started when the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) notified Madam Glassco about the commission’s intent to subject the NaFAA under her stewardship to investigation on allegation of financial impropriety, including procurement fraud. Then on March 19, 2025, the LACC summoned her, at which time she made a submission of necessary procurement and financial documents in the presence of her lawyer.
Financial and fraud experts who followed the case observed that the LACC, with little or no specific evidence, confronted Madam Glassco with allegations she failed to properly expend funds provided by the World Bank according to established procedures, including procurement laws.
The question proffered by the experts is how the Glassco management able to surmount tight financial control measures that are universally proven to be obsessed by and studded in accountability and transparency frameworks.
The World Bank frameworks include a horde of tighter procedures and rules, including streamlining and approving implementation draft plans, feedback mechanisms, amongst control measures that NaFAA’s Project Implementation Unit (PIU) must go through before disbursement are authorized and made.
There are also Annual Work Plan Budget (AWPB) and Procurement Plan (PP) that must be submitted to the World Bank Task Team Leader (TTL) for review and approval. The accounting regime of the World Bank also involves endorsements by the National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) that comprise representatives from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Ministry of Agriculture, NaFAA, and other stakeholders.
There is also the control measure that require a final authorization for procurement activities; and that is the “No Objection” clearance before authorization is issued by the World Bank – meaning that without a “No Objection” clearance from the World Bank, everything stalls.
Those familiar with international procurement systems, specifically those of the World Bank, payments for the project could not be processed by NaFAA directly; all financial transactions were managed through the Project Financial Management Unit (PFMU) at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
As if those control and accountability measures were not enough, there is also the STEP Platform which provides real-time monitoring of project activities, including expenditure.
One expert said: “Adding to the layers of transparency, procurement activities — including the US$800,000 already spent on the headquarters project — were uploaded to the World Bank’s Systematic Tracking of Exchanges in Procurement (STEP) platform. This system enables real-time monitoring of procurement activities by the Bank’s oversight teams.”
Essentially, as experts indicate, a World Bank project implementation is audit in motion, wondering how World Bank-validated accountability procedures could have been invaded by Madam Glassco and her management team while building the NaFAA headquarters, specifically under the LSMFP Component 4.
As one expert put it, had there been any floating or deviation from approved World Bank procurement plan, the ever-alert Bank would have nip it in the bud.
A number of questions still mount: “Given that the General Auditing Commission (GAC) reportedly found no issues of concern in its audits of the project to date, how does the World Bank reconcile this with the current allegations of procurement fraud? Has the Bank been formally notified or requested to cooperate with the investigation currently being led by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC)? Is the World Bank undertaking any internal review in response to the current controversy surrounding this funding?”
Accordingly, the World Bank confirmed that its projects in Liberia are governed by strict policies and guidelines designed to ensure proper use of funds.
“The World Bank takes seriously our obligation to ensure that Bank funds are used for clearly defined activities for the benefit of the people and communities we serve,” the Bank stated in a response on April 9.
The World Bank, however, declined to speak on the ongoing LACC investigation.
Further assurance of the Glassco management’s probity in the matter is the fact that the General Auditing Commission (GAC), since the inception of the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project in 2018, conducted annual audits of the project — including a review of expenditures related to the headquarters construction.
To date, no audit report issued by the GAC has flagged concerns regarding mismanagement or fraud within the project.
The Analyst has learned that that on September 12, 2022, the Ministry of Finance wrote to Mr. Khwima Nthara, the then-World Bank Country Manager for Liberia, requesting restructuring of some components of the LSMFP.
The restructuring was reportedly accepted and eventually paved way for the purchase of a vehicle for NaFAA for the use of the project.
Those who know much about World Bank accountability systems contend that procedural lapses or documentation errors are not impossible, and that outright fraud as alleged would require a high-level conspiracy involving multiple oversight bodies—making it impossible and difficult for anyone to circumvent World Bank standards and go with impunity.
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