In Liberia, a corruption case involving 25,000 bags of donated Saudi rice
is from Saudi Arabia is becoming an early test of President Joseph
Boakai’s promise to crack down on graft.

In 2024 thousands of flood victims in rural counties were left with no
government help after flood waters washed away homes. Prosecutors
say half the rice was stolen.

But as Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon found in this collaboration with New
Narratives as the case stalls in court, the case has dragged in the courts
for eight months and advocates say public trust is already wearing thin.

This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Investigating Liberia project. Funding was provided by Susan and David Marcinek and the Swedish Embassy in Liberia. Funders had no say in the story’s content.