MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The Office of the President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate has refuted claims that discussions were held and captured on audio on solicitation of funds to facilitate the authorization of the printing of a new family of Liberian Dollar Currency.

The Pro-Temp’s office described such claims as disinformation, misinformation, an unacceptable act of dishonesty and a complete violation of professional ethics of journalism.

The statement from the Pro Tempore’s office says the audio, being played on Joy FM and its cohort stations, is an old distorted and disjointed audio that was played over and over last year by the very stations with similar intent to tarnish the good earned reputation of the Pro Tempore and the Liberian senate.

The discussion being referenced was on budget issues, specifically the overdue payments of funds to the Senate and to the Pro Temp’s Office from their respective budget lines.

The statement also states that the matter of the very audio was reported to the Press Union of Liberia and the Liberia National Police in 2020.

Meanwhile, President Pro Tempore, Albert Chie, is calling on the Press Union of Liberia to investigate the matter.

Senator Chie also expressed disappointment over the manner in which some journalists are misleading the public on the working of the Liberian Senate and urged journalists involved to desist.

He reiterated that the repeated playing of the audio, now ascribed to demand for payment for the printing of new Liberian dollar banknotes a year later in 2021, is a wicked ploy intended to cast doubt on the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) currency printing approval process, praised by the general public as an excellent step by the Government to relieve them of mutilated Liberian Dollar banknotes.