The_Open_Door_deel1

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geologists, economists and lawyers, but the political top of the
Administration had been well aware of the issues involved
although it failed to contribute to their solution. The National
Legislature of Liberia played - and continues to play - only a
token role in the nation's decision-making process. The country's
best known and wealthiest lawyer, Richard A. Henries, also
represented the mining company's legal interests in Liberia. This
relationship provides at least a clear case of conflict of
interests as Henries was also the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
The Whinney Murray Report had been presented in 1964 to the
Secretary of the Treasury, one of the few (foreign-) trained
economists in those years, Charles D. Sherman, who had been one
of the two Government representatives on L.M.C.'s Board of
Directors and who had approved the company's final annual
accounts including, i.a., the amounts for the annual appropriation
for Replacement reserves (88). The second Government
representative on this Board had been the Director of the
Bureau of National Resources and Surveys, Arthur Sherman
(older brother of the Secretary of the Treasury), who had been
succeeded in October 1961 by Momolu A. Massaquoi. The report of
the British auditors states that their approval had apparently
been little more than a formality (89). Although it is true that
the two Government representatives constituted a minority on the
five member Board of Directors, they could nevertheless have
voted against these annual accounts even if their disapproval
would not have changed the final decision.
These considerations, however, still leave other possibilities
open. Were attempts made to hide something by not taking any
concrete actions against the obvious violation of the country's
financial and other interest? Theoretically it is also
imaginable that incompetence of Liberian members of the Board,
or even possible irregularities, had to be concealed from others.
The close relationship between President Tubman and Lansdell
Christie and Tubman' s powerful ruling of the country, hiring and
firing Government officials at will, constitute another
explanation for the fact that no actions were undertaken against
L.M.C Tubman's coverage of irregular activities of L.M.C. had
earlier attracted attention, when officials of the Bureau of
Natural Resources and Surveys had caught'L.M.C (on more than
one occasion) inaccurately reporting the actual tonnage mined and
shipped, thus depriving the National Treasury of an amount of
money equal to the amount of royalties missed through these'
manipulations. Tubman, however, refused to discuss this issue
with his best friend Christie. It was even alleged by these
officials of the Bureau of Natural Resources and Surveys that
Christie had paid Tubman not to undertake any action in this
respect (90).
Although this serious accusation is difficult to prove Liberians
will nevertheless readily concede that there may be some truth in
this allegation. That the- close friendship between Tubman and