According to the soldiers, up to present, at least several thousand United States dollars has been withheld from the wages of the soldiers. For his part, Defense Minister Brownie Samukai, confirmed that his Ministry has since 2009 established a WELFARE FUND under which deductions are made from the salaries of soldiers based on rank. He clarified that such deductions are placed into a WELFARE FUND for soldiers and it is intended to cater to the welfare of soldiers who may suffer injury or to the families of soldiers who may die on duty. Prominent among those officials expressing such concerns included Defense Minister Samukai, Deputy Civil Service Director-General Puchu Bernard, and former Lofa County Senator Kupee. Whether the MoD’s establishment of the WELFARE FUND for soldiers was indeed driven by such concerns remains unclear.

Source: Daily Observer January 08, 2018 02:36 UTC