No Clear Evidence of Corruption in Fisheries Project, Despite Ongoing Probe

Monrovia, Liberia: The suspended head of Liberia’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Madam Emma Metieh Glassco, is facing corruption allegations. But documents seen by The Liberian Investigator, along with rules from the World Bank, suggest a different story one where the money was closely watched and fraud would have been very hard to pull off.

Madam Glassco was once praised as a rising star in government for helping to improve Liberia’s fishing industry. Now, she is being investigated by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) over how $3.1 million from the World Bank was used. The money was meant to build NaFAA’s new headquarters on Bushrod Island in Monrovia.

The Investigation

On March 17, 2025, the LACC sent Madam Glassco a letter saying they were looking into possible financial misconduct during her time as Director-General. This includes claims of procurement fraud—basically, dishonest practices in how contracts and goods were bought.

She was told to appear at the LACC’s office on March 19, 2025, with her lawyer and all the documents related to how the money was spent on the headquarters.

The LACC wants to know whether the money from the World Bank was spent according to the rules and guidelines in the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project (LSMFP).

What the Documents Show

But an investigation by The Liberian Investigator shows that the World Bank set up a very strict system for how the money could be used. These rules made it very hard for anyone to misuse the funds.

Before any money could be spent, NaFAA’s Project Implementation Unit (PIU) had to:

• Make a detailed work plan and procurement plan.

• Get feedback from internal teams.

• Send the plans to the World Bank’s Task Team Leader for review.

• Get approval from a National Project Steering Committee, which includes people from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture, NaFAA, and others.

• Finally, receive a “No Objection” letter from the World Bank before doing anything.

According to experts, this step-by-step approval process makes fraud extremely difficult. “If you understand how many approvals are needed, you’ll see that the money is basically locked up unless the World Bank agrees,” one official told The Liberian Investigator.

Also, NaFAA didn’t handle the money directly. All payments were processed by the Project Financial Management Unit (PFMU) under the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning. This extra step gave even more control and oversight.

Bottom Line

Even though Madam Glassco is being investigated, the financial system put in place by the World Bank was very strict. So far, there’s no strong evidence of fraud or theft. The investigation is still ongoing, but documents suggest that it would have been very hard to misuse the money.