LIBERIA:Liberia's auditor general has accused President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's government of being three times more corrupt than its predecessor, and says millions of dollars are unaccounted for in the 2007/2008 draft budget.
The charge by the West African country's top official auditor, who is paid by the international community, is a big embarrassment for Africa's first elected female head of state, who had declared corruption her "public enemy number one".
Auditor general John Morlu criticised what he called a serious lack of transparency in the draft budget presented to parliament, which he said understated or omitted potential revenues or cash-in-hand totalling millions of dollars.
In addition, he said the details of a major oil supply deal made with Nigeria had not been made public, and probes into several state authorities and companies pointed to corruption.
"This government is 3.2 times more corrupt than the Gyude Bryant government. I have evidence to prove this," Mr Morlu said in an interview late on Monday.
Government spokesmen have refuted Mr Morlu's charges, already carried in the local media, as "not fair" and unsupported.
The comparison with Bryant is particularly stinging for Ms Johnson-Sirleaf's administration. She is a Harvard-trained economist who, after her election in 2005, had vowed to clean up the tainted record of government left by her transitional predecessor.
Mr Bryant, a former businessman who headed an interim power-sharing administration following Liberia's 1989-2003 civil war, was charged earlier this year with embezzling $1.3 million (€968,675).
The case against him is ongoing.
Mr Morlu, whose salary is paid by the European Union under an internationally backed anti-graft monitoring scheme, said Ms Johnson-Sirleaf's government was guilty of the same kind of lack of openness in its business dealings as its predecessor.
"Under Bryant's government, we had the iron ore deal which was not accounted for.
"Under Ellen's government, we have the oil deal with Nigeria which no one is aware of today," he said, referring to an oil supply deal signed with Nigeria, the full details of which he said had not been made public.
Ms Johnson-Sirleaf's government last year renegotiated a big iron ore mining project with Arcelor Mittal that had been signed under Bryant.
The revised deal boosted the state's benefits and raised the total investment to $1 billion. Mr Morlu reserved his harshest criticism for the government's draft 2007/2008 budget, which he said lacked key information and failed to take into account expected revenues from the lucrative diamond and timber sectors, now freed from UN sanctions.
"Are you going to tell me that there will be no money generated from the diamond and timber industries for the next six months or more?" he asked.
"This budget does not measure the true financial position of the republic of Liberia," said Mr Morlu.
In addition, he said there was no sign in the budget of a cash balance of $47 million which the government held in May, according to information received by his office. "Tell me, that money cannot have been spent in one month and a half," he said.
Audits at the Forestry Development Authority, Roberts International Airport and the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company had also indicated corruption, the auditor general said, saying he had seen the reports.
Earlier this year, the airport managing director was dismissed for alleged corruption.
But Mr Morlu said Ms Johnson-Sirleaf's administration needed to work more closely with him to stamp out graft.
"No one has not come out to prove me wrong. I challenge them," he said.