NOCAL Suspended CEO Wants LACC Investigative Report into Corruption Allegations Unveiled Hastily

Monrovia, Liberia: It seems the suspended President/Chief Executive Officer of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), Madam Rustonlyn Suakoko Dennis, is not happy with the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission for the snail's pace at which the commission is moving to make public the outcome of its investigation into allegations of corruption linked to the suspended NOCAL boss.

Madam Dennis, who is the former Representative of Montserrado County Electoral District #4, took to her official social media handle (Facebook) on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, which is Unification Day, to question the reason behind the LACC delay in publishing the report, given the speed at which the commission initiated her investigation process.

According to Madam Suakoko-Dennis, her silence on the matter spanning four months is due to the gravity of the corruption allegation, for which she opted to submit herself for investigation and charged the LACC to make her findings public.  

“I chose silence during my allegations of malpractice and corruption because they were grave charges, and as such, I needed a high level of cogitation and composure. My thought process was that being loquacious in such an investigation was perilous and could be highly detrimental to my person; therefore, I remained quiet for about four months,” the suspended NOCAL boss wrote.

“I appreciated the LACC for their swift interventions during these alarming allegations, and I submitted to their investigations immediately, when it was naturally convenient for me to do so,” her Facebook said.

However, the accused and suspended government official expressed concern as to why LACC, as an entity charged with the duty to investigate allegations of corruption, is dragging its feet to release the outcome of the four-month-long investigation.

Madam Suakoko Dennis: “Notwithstanding , for three counts of allegations, which all parties appeared for, statements and documents provided , it’s somehow alarming and raises concern because I had never dealt with LACC or any criminal panel .

However, I want to believe and trust that the LACC is a credible institution. I use this medium to call upon the LACC to come up with their findings against me , as it is important that I face my accusers in the court of law if guilty, or I be vindicated from their findings if not guilty.”

The suspended NOCAL boss stressed the importance of LACC findings on corruption allegations linked to her person to repair her damaged reputation, as failure on the part of the commission to do so will place her character in the public glare in an unfavorable manner.

She called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the NOCAL Board of Directors to swiftly intervene and ensure that the investigation is made public. 

“These allegations have caused me great reputational damage, and I can’t be in oblivion, nor do I live with those charges hanging over me.

I also called on the President of the Republic of Liberia and the Board of Directors to be equally hasty with the demand of the outcome of the report as they were swift in their quest to get me ousted as CEO,” she intoned.

It can be recalled that on February 10, 2025, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai suspended Madam Rustonlyn Suakoko Dennis amid alarming allegations of corruption, financial mismanagement, and abuse of public office. 

Her suspension comes after a recommendation by the NOCAL Board of Directors, which called for a prompt inquiry into the alleged misconduct involving the purchase of a US$75,000 SUV and other financial indiscretions.

The allegations centered on the suspended NOCAL boss approving the procurement of an MG 2024 RX8 SUV for $75,000, in spite of dealership records showing a duty-paid price of US$45,000.

The discrepancy of US$30,000 then raised questions about the propriety of the deal, with critics and advocates accusing Madam Dennis of bloating the purchase price for personal gain.

At that time, several reports indicated that Madam Dennis’ predecessor had already procured a new vehicle for the CEO’s office in 2023, in line with Liberia’s three-year vehicle procurement regulation for government officials, raising questions about whether the purchase was justified.

The suspension of Madam Dennis also prompted political backlash, particularly from activists and opposition figures who have long questioned her appointment. Prominent activist Martin Kollie criticized Dennis for her controversial tenure in the legislature and her defeat in the 2023 elections, arguing that these factors made her an unsuitable candidate for the NOCAL CEO position.

But in response to the allegations, Madam Dennis then denied any wrongdoing, claiming that the accusations are politically motivated. She expressed her willingness to cooperate fully with the investigation, inviting the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to conduct an independent audit of NOCAL’s financial activities during her tenure.