MONROVIA – Former Assistant Foreign Minister P. Maxwell Vah has come out being very vocal accusing former Foreign Affairs Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah of comporting himself in ways that didn’t mean well for Liberia’s diplomatic image.
Confirming to The Liberian Post (TLP) that the audio circulating on social media is his voice and that he spoke with the institution that recorded him, he reiterated some of the things that are contained in the audio, which was placed on Facebook via the Empire TV Bassa page.
“In 2022, September 27, the Government of Saudi Arabia transferred more than US$2.5 million to us as Ministry of Foreign Affairs: US$500,000 for food aid, US$2 million for the restoration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2022, September 27, when we came from the General Assembly, the Minister and the Deputy Minister, Madam Thelma Duncan Sawyer hid that information from us.” He stated that Liberia’s Ambassador in Côte d’Ivoire had communicated with them when he and others were attending the UN General Assembly that the Saudis had asked the Foreign Ministry to send its account number so that the money could be wired into its account.
According to him, Foreign Minister Kemeyah had hidden the information about the transfer of the money from him and others. “When we came to senior management meeting, Kemayah hid that information from us, until [Henry] Fahnbulleh and I raised that issue in the senior management meeting. When you hear that Fahnbulleh and Kemayah were not pulling, or Maxwell and Kemayah were not pulling, these were the issues that we had with Kemayah.”
Vah further stated that the US$2.5M that the Saudi had agreed to give Liberia, US$500,000 was to be used as food aid and the remaining US$2 million was to be used for the “full restorations of the Foreign Ministry.” “When we raised that issue, Kemayah said that money was transferred to an escrow account, and he never informed all of us, none of us, as senior management, until we raised that issue in the senior management meeting.” The food aid he mentions here is the over 29,000 bags of rice that was bought and sent to Liberia for the use by the Disaster Management agency.
Maxwell, who is interestingly the namesake of the former Foreign Minister, emphasized that he and others never laid eyes on the money. The Foreign Ministry was renovated, however. But here is what Vah said about the renovation that took place. “Today, the money that was used to renovate the the Foreign Ministry, the Moroccan Government gave us US$1.5 million for the renovation, also for the Foreign Ministry.”
You can listen to Maxwell Vah’s full audio below.
Recent Developments
On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, the Liberia Government’s Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, secured an indictment against several former and current government officials and employees. Prominent among those arrested were former Foreign Affairs Minister Kemayah and his former Deputy Madam Thelma Duncan Sawyer.
That action by AREPT follows a detailed investigation into the illegal handling and diversion of 29,412 bags of rice donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in April 2023. The rice was intended to support disaster victims and vulnerable communities across Liberia.
Those indicted included Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah – Former Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mary Broh – Former Director General, General Services Agency (GSA)
Varney A. Sirleaf – Former Minister of Internal Affairs
Thelma Sawyer – Former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs/Administration
Henry O. Williams – Former Executive Director, National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA)
Augustine Tamba – Deputy Director for Operations, NDMA
Augustine M. Kollie – Director for Disaster Victims, NDMA
Edward S. Konneh – Employee, NDMA
Archievego M. Doe – Communications Director, NDMA
Edris Bility – Former Deputy Director for Operations, GSA
Mamie Davies – Assistant Director, GSA
Momolu Johnson – Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs/Administration
Rosetta L. Gbassay Bowah – Logistics Officer, NDMA
Wayfa Ciapha – Purported CEO, Group of 77
Evelyn Gbee – Warehouse Manager, GSA
The Task Force said its investigation revealed that 25,054 bags of rice, valued at approximately US$425,918, were unlawfully diverted by the accused. Instead of reaching the intended disaster victims, the rice was stolen through secret and unauthorized meetings, usurpation of NDMA’s statutory authority and removal and distribution of rice without documentation or legal process.
“Some suspects have admitted to their roles, confirming a coordinated internal conspiracy and severe abuse of public trust,” the government’s anti-corruption agency said.
Crimes Charged Include:
Theft of Property
Economic Sabotage
Misapplication of Entrusted Property
Abuse of Office
Criminal Conspiracy
The former Foreign Minister has since denied the charges against him. Kemayah who is the political leader for Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE), an opposition political party, has termed the government’s action as “political witch hunt.” Nevertheless, Vah disagrees with Kemayah on the witch hunt. He encouraged Kemayah to go and prove his innocence of the charges against him and others.
