The Senator of Gbarpolu County, Gbotoe Kanneh, has written the Plenary of the Liberian Senate urging swift legislative action to ensure that indicted officials of Gbarpolu County are suspended from active duty pending the outcome of their ongoing court proceedings.
In her communication to the Senate, Senator Kanneh expressed grave concern over what she termed as a “serious breach of public trust and governance integrity” in Gbarpolu County, following the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission’s (LACC) report of the indictment of several current and former county officials, including a private vendor.
The LACC’s report, presented to the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Gbarpolu County during its August Term of 2025, listed the indicted individuals as Mr. Samuel K. Zinnah, current Superintendent of Gbarpolu County; Mr. Omaru Sheriff, General Manager of City Lion Private Vendor; Mr. J. K. Kai Saah, former Superintendent; Mr. Anthony Yokor, former Fiscal Superintendent; and Mr. Robert Binda, former Chairperson of the Project Management Committee (PMC).
These individuals were jointly charged with economic sabotage, fraud on the Internal Revenue of Liberia, misuse of public funds, theft of property, illegal disbursement of public money, violation of the Public Financial Management Law, criminal conspiracy, criminal solicitation, and tax evasion.
Despite the severity of the charges, Senator Kanneh lamented that Superintendent Samuel K. Zinnah continues to function in his official capacity as the head of the county administration, a situation she said undermines public confidence in the justice system and contradicts the principles of transparency and accountability.
Quoting from her communication, the Gbarpolu Senator stated: “In adherence to the Code of Conduct for public officials, and consistent with the principles of transparency, accountability, and ethical governance, I respectfully request the plenary of the Liberia Senate to take official cognizance of the LACC indictment and engage the Executive Branch to ensure that Superintendent Zinnah is temporarily relieved of his duties pending the court’s determination.”
Kanneh emphasized that such action would reaffirm the Senate’s commitment to good governance and the rule of law, while demonstrating to the Liberian people that accountability in public service remains a shared national priority.
Following the reading of the communication, Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon moved that the communication be received and forwarded to the Committees on Judiciary and Internal Affairs for review and report back to the Plenary by Thursday.
Senator Dillon stressed that the matter deserves urgent attention, especially given the gravity of the allegations and the need to prevent further administrative complications in Gbarpolu County.
“It is alleged that the County Superintendent has been indicted by the government. He cannot continue sitting as Superintendent, performing administrative duties while under criminal indictment. The committees must report by Thursday,” Senator Dillon remarked.
The motion was subsequently endorsed by a majority vote of the Senate Plenary. Before concluding the discussion, Senator Kanneh was given two minutes to elaborate on her request. She expressed appreciation to the leadership of the Senate for the swift attention given to her communication and further called for the invitation of the Acting Minister of State and the Acting Minister of Internal Affairs to explain why the communication regarding the indictment had not yet reached the President’s desk.
“I know the President is one of integrity, accountability, and transparency. I believe he may not have received this communication. Therefore, it is important that these ministers appear before us to clarify the delay,” Senator Kanneh asserted.
The matter now rests with the Senate Committees on Judiciary and Internal Affairs, which are expected to present their findings and recommendations to the Plenary later this week.
If the Senate acts in line with Senator Kanneh’s recommendation, it could mark a significant step toward reinforcing Liberia’s anti-corruption stance and ensuring that public officials under indictment are held accountable pending judicial outcomes.
