MONROVIA, LIBERIA-Criminal Court “C” in Monrovia has sent to jail four officials indicted by the Grand Jury of Montserrado County for multiple charges ranging from money laundering, theft of property, forgery, misuse of public funds, and criminal facilitation.
Defendants Thelma Duncan Sawyer, former Deputy Foreign Minister for Administration, Edmund Ponpon, Policy Analyst at the Ministry of Commerce, John Youbouty, Manager of MDMC, and Saah Johnson, CEO, MARCO Auto Services, were arrested on Friday, November 7, 2025, and sent to the Monrovia Central Prison.
They were whisked off for failure to secure a valid criminal appearance bond in the amount of millions of US Dollars.
Defendant Ponpon allegedly misused his office, connived and conspired on three occasions between January and June 2021, and used his citizen ID to sign for three checks amounting to six hundred twenty thousand US Dollars.
The indictment described it as having no affirmative defense.
The indictment averred that defendant Sawyer, in her capacity as Deputy Minister, illegally awarded several contracts to MDMC and other representatives of said company in the amount of over one million US Dollars for renovation purposes.
AREPT’s investigation also revealed that in September 2022, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia donated to the Government of Liberia the sum of two million US Dollars for the sum of renovation of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors, including the entire parking lot of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
However, said money, according to the indictment, was transferred to the Ministry’s accounts at the Central Bank of Liberia, using the “No objection” reply from Thelma Sawyer to the Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC).
Meanwhile, the former Chief of Protocol, Nora Finda Bundo, who is included in the indictment, along with several others, was not brought before the Court because they could not be found.
Meanwhile, the former Chief of Protocol, Finda Bundo, has been linked to the laundering of over six million US Dollars.
According to the State investigation, spearheaded by the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce, Madam Bundo allegedly channeled the monies through companies linked to her and her daughter, Anita Jallah.
The investigation terms the funneling of the funds through the companies as a suspected money laundering operation.
The Head of the Asset Recovery Task Force, Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin said, “The transactions from 2020 to present are serious impropriety”.
Cllr. Martin disclosed that the investigation has so far indicted more than forty individuals connected to the suspicious financial activities.
He noted that the indictment has already led to arrests, including Edward Pun-pun, an employee of the Ministry of Commerce, and Saah Johnson, owner of the motorcycle trading business, MARSACO.
At a news conference on Friday, November 7, 2025, AREPT presented photographs of properties allegedly acquired by Madam Finda Bundo, using the proceeds of these activities.
In a related development, AREPT has revealed an eight hundred thousand US Dollars shortfall in funds earmarked for the renovation of the Foreign Ministry.
The investigation involves the Chief Executive Officer of MDMC, John Youboty, and the former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thelma Duncan-Sawyer.
The Chairman of AREPT stated that investigative findings indicate the funds are currently unaccounted for.
He called for the cancellation of the contracts signed between the Government of Liberia and Youboty, through his company.
Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin then committed AREPT to ensuring that the government’s stolen assets are retrieved and used for the good of the Liberian people.