Robert Neal Accuses IAA Boss

-But Director General Fires Back

By Reuben Sei Waylaun

The Deputy Director General for Audit at the Internal Audit Agency (IAA) has indicted the Director General, Emmanuel B. Nyeswa for alleged massive corruption at the entity.

In his 15 counts allegations, Mr. Robert Neal alleged that under the stewardship of Mr. Emmanuel B. Nyeswa, a review of the IAA’s payroll shows that the entity’s payroll has a monthly excess of almost US$40,000.00, an amount allegedly collected monthly by DG Nyeswa upon his appointment as DG.

He also alleged that during IAA special payroll audits of ministries and agencies, all vehicles used by the IAA are owned by DG Nyeswa and his colleagues and funding proposals for payroll audits from the IAA to the MFDP are unrealistically and always inflated.

“In 2018/2019 fiscal year, IAA cuts more than US$25,000.00 from IAA employees’ allowances as reprimand/warning and punishment. The amount, instead of being paid in GoL consolidated account at the Central Bank of Liberia was consumed by Director General Emmanuel Barten Nyeswa,” Robert Neal further alleged.

Addressing reporters in Monrovia Monday February 10, 2020, Robert Neal alleged that since his appointment as Deputy Director General for Audit, he doesn’t know how many auditors he supervises and how they are assigned.

According to him, he is never consulted during assignment of auditors. He added “for every time I request for my Department’s personnel listing, it would be a big fuss. Immediately upon my appointment in September 2018, three sections which had been with the Department since the enactment of the entity were removed from under the department of audit and placed under his office.”

Neal further alleged that he worked for one year without a printer in his office, but regularly prints in junior staff’s office.

“With these unfolding, I request an end to the ill-treatment which was hindering my efficiency. The next day I wrote and spelled out all that I wanted to be addressed. He called me in his office and said all my requests were not doing. Based on that I wrote him information that I was disengaging from audit and audit related works until my concerns could be addressed, that I wouldn’t attend senior staff meetings, which I would only go to work from 8:00am to 4:00pm. This is the letter Mr. Nyeswa considers as a resignation,” Mr. Neal further added.

Neal alleged that based on his issues, Mr. Nyeswa recalled his security and driver, disconnected him from the IAA chartroom and email system, locked his office since September 20, 2019 and froze his salary since September 2019; while he still remains the Deputy Director General for Audit.

The position occupied by Neal is a four year tenure position according to the Act creating the Internal Audit Agency.

Meanwhile, addressing reporters at the Internal Audit Agency’s head offices in Congo Town, Monday February 10, 2020, the Director General of the IAA, Emmanuel B. Nyeswa rubbished the allegations from his deputy.

DG Nyeswa said “there are people who look for conversations and I don’t like to talk these issues. Here at IAA, we focus on what we do. The name you mentioned is in pure violations of our regulations and everything here.”

He further added that he has no knowledge on US$40,000.00 as alleged by Mr. Robert Neal. DG Nyeswa also said they take disciplinary measures against employees who are in violations of the entity’s regulations and amount deducted from them remains in the system and not to him as alleged by Mr. Neal.

“Because we don’t hold such media interactions, people throw garbage at us,” DG Nyeswa said.