By Monrovia, Liberia – Report says Over five hundred motorcyclists in Montserrado county have been trapped with insurance fraud as they struggle to meet police requirements for safety measures. Victims of the fake insurance deal on Tuesday June 4, 2024 narrated their ordeal citing embarrassment at the same time blaming the ministry of transport for negligence.
According to the aggrieved cyclists, employees of the Ministry of Transport allegedly aided them to process the fake Insurance documents, while said documents were at the same time accepted by Transport Ministry to validate their bike registration.
The concern of the alleged scandal surfaced early Tuesday of June 4, 2024, when over hundreds of commercial motorcycles owners got arrested by police in central Monrovia for carrying fake Insurance prompting their appearance at the ministry of Transport.
The documents bearing the name “Mutual Benefits Assurance Company” was displayed by some victims, stating that the transport ministry is responsible for the alleged dubious act and as such, should speedily settle the matter with the police so as to allow them continue their normal activities.
Facts Finding on The Mutual Benefits Assurance Company Reveals..
Mutual Benefits Assurance Company is an insurance company that is involved in all forms of insurance services, with head office at 17th Street, Sinkor. The People News Online has established that the company has agents within the Ministry of Transport, charging $US110 as fees for one year insurance documents without liabilities. With this, cyclists believe that there was a conspiracy between employees of the MOT, and the company to exploit them.
The President of Supreme Motorcycle Transport Union Liberia, Trokon G. Gray argued that the fake insurance issued to motorcyclists is a negligent from the ministry and as such, the Cyclists shouldn’t be held liable. He further described the insurance saga as a cartel initiated to suppress motorcyclists.
“It’s not our fault, the ministry should have a system that people cannot easily bypass.” He asserted.
Trokon who is Popularly known as “yellow machines” warned that the MOT invite the LNP and all insurance companies in Liberia for proper dialogue to remedy the situation. He further threatened to file a lawsuit against employees of the Ministry who are link to duping cyclists for documents purpose.
Christian G. Abel, a cyclists who got his insurance documents from Global Insurance Company also expressed that the action of the police and the Ministry of Transport is deliberately aimed at getting them off the street despite their efforts to comply with police Safety measures. “The Ministry is the one that validated our documents and even stamped it before giving us license plate. so how can they sate and allow the police to embarrass us?” he added.
For their part, Authorities at the ministry of Transport have cautioned cyclists to remain calm as they promised to remedy the situation. The ministry vowed to convene an urgent meeting with the police traffic division, and insurance entities to resolve issues surrounding the many allegations.
Meanwhile, the Liberia National Police has confirmed through its spokesperson Cecelia G. Clarke, the arrest of at least five persons that are linked to the issuance of the alleged fake insurance permit.
By: Alphanso G. Kalama
