Liberian police broke ranks with established protocol Tuesday when they invaded the private residence of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf--without notice--to arrest her longtime ally, Mary Broh in connection with an alleged scandal involving thousands of bags of rice donated by Saudi Arabia.
The Liberian Investigator has confirmed that the Liberia National Police entered Madam Sirleaf's Fish Market compound in Sinkor without informing or seeking permission from the former president. Broh, who resides on the same premises, was taken into custody as part of a widening probe into the alleged diversion of humanitarian rice meant for disaster victims.
The operation, which left Madam Sirleaf reportedly stunned, is now being seen by some diplomats as a blatant disregard for diplomatic norms and the dignity of a former head of state. "You don't invade the home of a former president without notice. This is not how protocol or the law works," a senior diplomatic source told The Liberian Investigator on condition of anonymity.
Mary Broh, a controversial yet influential figure in Liberian politics, served as Monrovia's mayor during the Sirleaf administration and later headed the General Services Agency (GSA) under President George Weah. She currently heads the anti-power theft taskforce of the Liberia Electricity Corporation. Her arrest follows an indictment by the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce, which accuses her of misappropriating more than 25,000 bags of rice donated in April 2023 by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Also indicted and arrested are Henry O. Williams, Executive Director of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), and former Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Kemayah. The rice, valued at over US$425,000, was intended to support families affected by fires, floods, and other disasters but was instead allegedly diverted for "personal and political gain," according to taskforce officials.
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"This was a humanitarian gesture by the Saudi people that was grossly abused," said Joseph Daniel, head of communications for the taskforce. "These individuals held secret meetings and distributed the rice without any documentation. There's no record of where it went."
The 29,412 bags were consigned to the NDMA and received through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Although the NDMA claimed that 5,000 bags were pre-positioned in Bong County for emergency response, concerns over the unaccounted balance prompted a formal investigation by the taskforce, which Daniel said has been months in the making.
The trio--Broh, Williams, and Kemayah--now face charges including theft of property, economic sabotage, and abuse of public office. All three have been remanded at the Monrovia Central Prison pending the filing of valid bail bonds.
"This isn't about shielding anyone from the law," a retired security official said. "But there are rules--especially when it involves a former president's home. Violating that boundary undermines national dignity."
The taskforce insists more arrests are on the horizon as it pursues at least 17 high-profile corruption cases involving former officials. "We're just getting started," said Daniel. "Nobody is above the law."
