By By: Staff Writer
Monrovia, Liberia — Liberian humanitarian and development professional Josephine H. Greaves on Sunday denied corruption allegations against her and urged authorities to ensure transparency and due process, including access to legal counsel and evidence.
In a press statement released from Monrovia, Greaves said she “unequivocally denies any wrongdoing” and called for an “immediate, transparent, and evidence-based review” of the claims. She urged the Assets Recovery Team and other authorities to adhere to the rule of law and afford her “basic rights of due process.”
Greaves, who has worked for more than 20 years with rural women and children, said she has partnered with international institutions including USAID, Pact, Women’s Campaign International, Creative Associates, and the Education Development Center. She said her work has focused on empowerment programming in post-conflict Liberia and strengthening rural women’s networks across all 15 counties. She recently transitioned into public service under the current administration.
Background on 2023 Government Grants
The statement addressed 2023 grants issued by the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to support agriculture among rural women’s groups. According to Greaves, accessing the funds required submission of a formal project proposal, which she said is a technical hurdle for many rural groups.
At the time, Greaves said she was a private humanitarian and development consultant, not a government official. She stated that several women’s groups requested her assistance to write and submit proposals, and that those groups later received partial funding directly from the government. “There is no allegation nor any evidence that Ms. Greaves personally received any portion of those funds, or that any funds were misdirected,” the statement read, adding that records, correspondence, proposal drafts, and acknowledgments of receipt exist.
Assets Recovery Team Inquiry
Greaves said the Assets Recovery Team invited her to one meeting as part of its inquiry. She stated that no legal counsel was present or permitted during the meeting. When asked whether she prepared proposals for women’s groups, she said she answered “yes.”
She said she requested to see the specific document the team referenced but the team returned without it, stating it was in their boss’s office. “Shortly thereafter, without any further meeting, without providing the requested document, and without affording Ms. Greaves an opportunity to respond to specific evidence, an indictment was obtained against her,” the statement said.
Questions Raised
Greaves posed several questions in her statement, including whether it is standard procedure to question a subject without legal representation, and whether an indictment can be obtained without allowing the accused to review the document forming the basis of the charge. She also asked whether assisting rural women with proposal writing is now being “criminalized retroactively.”
“Before I ever set foot in a government office, I helped women write proposals. That was my job. That was my calling,” Greaves said. “If that is now a crime, then every development professional in this country should be worried.”
Call for Action
Greaves called on the Assets Recovery Team to provide her legal representatives with all documents referenced in the indictment and to schedule a formal hearing with counsel present. She also urged the Ministry of Justice to ensure investigations follow due process, including the right to review evidence and the presumption of innocence.
She asked the public and press to “reserve judgment until facts are presented and tested,” adding that “allegations are not convictions.”
Greaves said she remains willing to cooperate with any “transparent, lawful, and fair review” and reaffirmed her commitment to Liberian women. “The document exists. The records are intact. The truth is patient. And justice, when given room to breathe, will find its way,” the statement concluded.
