Monrovia, Liberia – The National Oil Company of Liberia’s (NOCAL) Officer-in-Charge, Jake Kabakole, has finally spoken out in response to recent allegations that he stole more than US$600,000 from the organization. Jake Kabakole characterized the study as a disinformation campaign and smear campaign aimed against both him and the esteemed office of the entity’s person in charge.
Jake Kabakole provided clarification during the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism Special Press Briefing held in Monrovia on Monday, April 1, 2024. He stated, “At no point in my oversight of the national oil company, have I signed off on any disbursement of such a sum to anybody. These claims are not only false but are a deliberate attempt at tarnishing a reputation build on integrity and dedication to national progress.”
He claimed that the actors’ immediate goal is to cast doubt on the president’s selection of the officers in command and to minimize the thought that went into this choice.
The NOCAL CEO claimed that on July 13, 2023, NOCAL signed a contract with BMC Group INC for an office construction project that was initially valued at $2.9 million. This was before his appointment as Officer-in-Charge.
He claimed that the deal had been properly processed and seemed to have followed the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission’s (PPCC) rules.
He mentioned that on July 17, 2023, the first payment of $1,456,928.84 million was made to BMC, indicating the start of the contractual duties. The payment was made in two separate checks totaling $728,464.42 each.
According to the NOCAL CEO, real construction started in November 2023. On November 23, 2023, the PPCC approved a contract amendment that raised the contract value to $4.5 million to account for project modifications.
He mentioned that TSC Global was engaged by NOCAL to serve as its project consultant, and that TSC Global’s main duty was to oversee, assess, and certify that BMC was completing the project in compliance with the terms and conditions of the contract.
He added that BMC received an additional payment of $796,259.39, the total disbursement to date has been $2.2 million, or 50% of the amended contract amount. According to Jake Kabakole, the financial transactions took place prior to President Joseph Boakai’s appointment of him in January 2024.
Reported by: Joseph N Kerkula
Email: jnkerkula@gmail.com
Contact: +231777376826
