SEEKON-PELLOKON – The Managing Director of the Forestry Growth Authority (FDA), Rudolph Merab, is allegedly pushing a neighborhood forest to signal a logging contract with a dormant firm owned by his buddy.
By Varney Kamara and Esau Farr, with The DayLight
Leaders of the Seekon Pellokon Group Forest in Sinoe’s Seekon District mentioned the FDA was on their backs to enter a contract with the Liberia Hardwood Company. The corporate is now scouting the 44,989-hectare forest, with the events reportedly near a deal.
“After they end trying within the bush, we’ll all come again to the desk to debate the contract,” Junior Kumah, a Seekon Pellokon chief, informed The DayLight.
“Our curiosity is to take our individuals from years of poverty. They want growth, roads, colleges, and clinics.”
Earlier this yr, the FDA disapproved a deal between Seekon Pellokon and Universe Forest Group, a brand new logging firm, as a result of it lacked the capability to function two contracts concurrently. Universe Forest has a contract with the Tarsue Group Forest within the Sanquin District.
As a substitute, locals mentioned, the FDA welcomed a take care of the Liberia Hardwood Company, co-owned and run by Jihad Akkari. He holds 15 % of the corporate’s share, whereas Khalil Zein Baalbaki and Giuliano Dassi maintain 42.5 % shares apiece.
Akkari’s relationship with Merab dates again to the Nineties, when each males operated logging firms. Akkari served because the vp when Merab was president of the Liberia Timber Affiliation (LibTA) for practically 20 years. A number of sources mentioned was taking part in out for Akkari in Seekon Pellokon.
“FDA is the one that’s negotiating,” mentioned Kumah in a cellphone interview. “The FDA has all these paperwork in its possession.”
Stanley Kreejarly, a member of Seekon Pellekon’s management, corroborated the declare, including one other layer.
“FDA mentioned it could not do enterprise with us until the neighborhood signed a contract with Liberian Hardwood,” mentioned Kreejarly. Like Kumah, he offered no proof.
“FDA really useful that we should always do enterprise with the Liberian Hardwood, and we agreed as a result of it’s the one overseeing the sector.”
Tarpeh Wluh-Sam, Seekon Pellokon’s chief, wouldn’t converse on the matter however mentioned they wanted growth.
The declare that Merab is negotiating or pressuring locals for Liberian Hardwood is grave. Per the Community Rights Law…, the FDA doesn’t negotiate contracts. Quite, it approves them. Negotiating for an organization would violate the Code of Conduct for Public Officials, which prohibits the violation of any regulation and utilizing official positions for private profit.
Merab didn’t reply to queries for feedback on the allegation, however Akkari did, defending his firm and the FDA’s boss. He denied that Merab favored Liberian Hardwood and that the individuals who made the declare have been probably unaware of the matter.
“[Liberian Hardwood] reiterates that Hon. Merab by no means made any such intervention on its behalf vis-a-vis the individuals of Seekon-Pellokon for the administration of their neighborhood forest(s),” mentioned Akkari.
“[Liberian Hardwood] doesn’t entertain any sliver of thought that Honorable Merab… would have interaction in flouting the regulation… and stoop to meddling within the award of Group [forest contract].”
‘Not a rocket scientist’
The FDA may need disapproved of Universe Forest Group. Nonetheless, Liberian Hardwood might not have the capability to deal with Seekon Pellokon both.
Liberian Hardwood’s earlier contract within the Bloquia and Neezonnie Group Forests ended disastrously. It left the Grand Gedeh communities with money owed, damaged guarantees, and hundreds of logs that at the moment are rotting.
In 2016, the FDA halted Liberian Hardwood’s operations till it may export timber it had deserted within the forest. Three years later, the corporate’s account was disabled in LiberTrace, the timber-tracking pc system.
Sampson Zammie, the secretary normal of the neighborhood forests union, mentioned he warned Wluh-Sam in opposition to contracting Liberian Hardwood. “I informed him that he shouldn’t do it and if he does it, he shall be doing it at his personal danger,” mentioned Zammie. Tarpeh confirmed having that dialog with Zammie, who can also be Bloquia’s chief, promising to evaluation Liberian Hardwood’s information.
Junior Kumah, one other Seekon Pellokon chief, dismisses Zimmie’s warning. Kumah mentioned that Seekon Pellokon had put in place a mechanism to keep away from the Bloquia-Neezonnie expertise. They’d signal a five-year contract, the corporate would pay after manufacturing, and they’d terminate the contract if Liberian Hardwood breached it, frequent safeguards in neighborhood forestry.
“I’m not a rocket scientist to know whether or not Hardwood will fail or not. All I’m telling you is that what occurred in Bloquia won’t be repeated right here. What occurred to John doesn’t imply the identical factor will occur to Paul,” Kumah mentioned.
Akkari denies any wrongdoing in Grand Gedeh, claiming he misplaced US$4 million there. He referenced a 2021 Supreme Courtroom ruling that cleared Liberian Hardwood of US$90,325.15 in damages to Bloquia and US$123,332 to Neezonnie in a contract-termination lawsuit.
Within the ruling, the Supreme Courtroom mentioned {that a} Grand Gedeh decide had “improperly” executed its preliminary verdict. “This was a petition for cancellation, which proceedings don’t give awards, as is completed in an motion of damages,” learn the ruling.
However the excessive court docket ordered that native individuals have been free to sue Liberian Hardwood for damages, which they’d by no means do. The ruling concluded by ordering the 7th Judicial Circuit Courtroom to permit Liberian Hardwood to take away its tools from the forest. The case was filed by A&M Enterprise Inc., which had subcontracted Liberian Hardwood for its contract with Bloquia and Nezonnie.
Logging amid controversies
There are different capability issues, as Liberian Hardwood is just not the one firm Akkari manages. The Lebanese can also be the supervisor of Euro Liberia Logging Firm.
Euro Logging operates the second-largest forestry concession in Liberia, masking Grand Gedeh and River Gee Counties, 254,670 hectares. Mixed with Seekon Pellokon’s 44,989 hectares, that may be practically 300,000 hectares, and one of many largest managed by a single particular person in Liberia’s postwar forestry.
Acquiring neighborhood forest contracts has proved counterproductive in a number of instances for managers of huge logging concessions. One instance is Cesare Colombo, then supervisor of Worldwide Guide Capital, which holds 266,910 hectares throughout Grand Gedeh, River Cess and Nimba and is the most important forestry concession in Liberia. Colombo acquired two neighborhood forestry contracts with Marblee & Karblee, and Gbarsaw & Dorbor in Grand Bassa and River Cess, however failed.
Campaigners mentioned loggers have been exploiting rural communities.
“My understanding is that a few of these firms are benefiting from the restricted capability of neighborhood members who’re awarding these concessions to them,” mentioned Andrew Zelemen, a campaigner for Euro Logging-affected and different communities, in 2022.
“One thing is incorrect someplace…, and these firms want to inform us what they’re doing with the Liberian individuals’s forests,” added Zelemen.
Akkari mentioned he was unaware of the failure of people who run giant concessions and neighborhood forests. But, he didn’t doubt dealing with the second-largest concession and Seekon Pellokon without delay.
“[Liberian Hardwood] can affirmatively state that it has the capability to function such forest space(s),” Akkari mentioned.
“In any case, nonetheless, the FDA doesn’t give its [approval] to any association until it’s glad that the potential operator has the capability…,” he added, although the proof disproves this declare. The FDA has awarded a number of people a number of contracts, together with 4 to a Singaporean family, after they failed their earlier contract.
That apart, a review of the forestry sector final yr discovered that it was unclear whether or not Euro Logging’s US$250,000 efficiency bond was ample. Nonetheless, the evaluation recognized it as the corporate with, maybe, the fewest points in forestry.
Additionally, Akkari is disqualified from partaking in logging actions in Liberia, based on the Regulation on Bidder Qualifications. The regulation bars people who have been concerned within the logging trade earlier than January 2006. They will solely take part until they confess their wartime wrongdoings to the Reality and Reconciliation Fee and repay embezzled or unpaid funds.
There isn’t a file that Akkari, who ran the Akkari Timber Inc. throughout the Second Liberian Civil Battle, whose contract was cancelled for noncompliance, met these necessities. He didn’t reply to queries relating to his wartime actions and Euro Logging’s capability.
[Additional reporting from Oniel Philips from the Temple of Justice in Monrovia]
This story was a Group of Forest and Environmental Journalists (CoFEJ) manufacturing. It first appeared in The DayLight and has been revealed right here as a part of an editorial collaboration.
