“Is the UN Paying Rent or Staying Free?” Speaker Koon Orders High-Level Probe into Pan African Plaza Occupancy

Monrovia, Liberia:Fresh questions are emerging over one of Liberia’s most prominent government properties after House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon moved to establish a specialized legislative committee to investigate the legal, financial, and occupancy status of the Pan African Plaza, the building currently occupied by the United Nations mission in Liberia.

The move, announced during Tuesday’s sitting of the House of Representatives, has instantly sparked public interest and political debate, with lawmakers now seeking answers to a question many say should have been addressed long ago is the United Nations paying rent for one of Liberia’s prime national assets, or is the facility being occupied under a little-known government agreement?

Speaker Koon appointed a specialized committee headed by Michael Thomas as Chair, with Bernard Blue Benson Jr. serving as Co-Chair. Other members include Priscilla Cooper, Prince Toles, along with other lawmakers selected by House leadership to conduct what insiders describe as a potentially sensitive financial and diplomatic review.

The committee’s formation followed a formal communication from Grand Gedeh County District #3 Representative Jacob Debee, who raised concerns over what he described as uncertainty surrounding the occupancy arrangement between the Government of Liberia and the United Nations regarding the Pan African Plaza.

In his communication titled “Inquiry into the Status of the Pan African Plaza Building Occupied by the One United Nations,” Debee questioned whether the UN’s presence at the facility is backed by a commercial rental agreement or a Memorandum of Understanding between the Liberian Government and the international body.

“The Liberian people deserve to know whether this national asset is generating revenue for the government or being occupied under an agreement that has not been publicly scrutinized,” the communication emphasized.

Debee specifically requested that if the arrangement is rental-based, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Liberia Revenue Authority, and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning produce documentary evidence of all payments allegedly made by the United Nations from January 2024 through December 2025.

He further demanded that if the occupancy is instead governed by a Memorandum of Understanding, the responsible government institution must submit a full copy of that agreement before Plenary for legislative scrutiny and official record.

With the committee given just one week to complete its investigation and report back to lawmakers, the inquiry is shaping up as more than a routine audit it could open a wider debate about how Liberia manages state assets, negotiates with international institutions, and accounts for deals made in the name of the Liberian people.