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MONROVIA \u2013 Forestry authorities have approved a logging contract for African Finch Logging Limited, despite the company\u2019s unknown ownership and link to a Sinoe lawmaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following The DayLight series in April and May, African Finch operations appeared to have been temporarily halted. However, some five months later, it is on the verge of harvesting logs in the 18,000-hectare forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a video<\/a>, an African Finch earthmover is seen making a road in the Numopoh Community Forest, while two Asian men supervise. Also, Forestry Development Authority (FDA) records show that the company paid US$500<\/a> for timber identification tags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This development indicates that the FDA and the Liberia Business Registry ignored findings of a DayLight series of the company\u2019s illegalities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The DayLight series found that the African Finch did not declare its owners, a legal requirement. The Business Association Law and the Beneficial Ownership Regulation require all firms to declare their ultimate beneficial owners, the people who own them. Meant to combat financial crimes and conflicts of interest, the regulation requires firms to disclose politically exposed persons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, The DayLight found that African Finch forged a UAE certificate, which it used to register in Liberia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The document in question contains a passport with the identification number 167557. However, using artificial intelligence and manual checks, reporters determined the passport did not match known samples of a UAE passport. UAE passport numbers typically consist of eight digits, including letters, and not six as on African Finch\u2019s document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, the certificate was issued by the UAE\u2019s free-trading zone on August 11, 2020. This establishes that the certificate had expired for nearly four years when African Finch used it to register in Liberia last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The evidence suggests that the forgers intended to use 2020 to make the document appear legitimate. However, what they apparently did not realize was that a UAE certificate typically lasts for only a year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The DayLight found another inconsistency in African Finch\u2019s purported UAE certificate. The document lacks QR codes and barcodes, key features on known UAE business certificates for verifying a company\u2019s legal status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hidden ownership<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In its underhand filing in Liberia, African Finch names Finch General Trading, registered in the UAE free-trade zone, as its parent company. The UAE free-trade zone is a red flag in itself, a haven for shell companies to avoid taxes and conceal their ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But reporters established that Finch General is not even recorded in the UAE free-trade zone registry. Similarly, checks in the UAE official, general database yielded no results. Further checks in the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) Aleph<\/a>, one of the world\u2019s largest databases of companies, were the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, reporters turned to Finch General\u2019s website<\/a>, which is hosted by NameSilo, known to hide firms’ identities. Turns out the address on that website belongs to another company, while verification directs users to an unofficial site. Finch General restricted access to the website following The DayLight series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faking the UAE document constitutes forgery, a crime under Liberian law. Moreover, using that document to obtain a forestry contract constitutes perjury or lying under oath, according to the Regulation on Bidder Qualifications<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The African Finch did not respond to queries about its concealed ownership and forged documents, and maintained that posture throughout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe don\u2019t have any response for you,\u201d Kwadjo Asabre, an official of the company, said in April. \u201cWe do not support mischief and dishonest publications. It\u2019s cowardice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t text me again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, the FDA and the Liberia Business Registry did not return questions about African Finch\u2019s shadowy ownership and fake credentials. The newspaper has now filed a freedom of information request with the FDA, the beginning of a legal procedure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Link to a Lawmaker<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In August last year, the FDA approved<\/a> Numopoh Community Forest\u2019s request to terminate its contract with Delta Timber Corporation. Numopoh and Delta had signed the deal<\/a> in 2016. Delta, owned by Gabriel Doe, a former presidential adviser during the Charles Taylor regime, had had unsettled debt and abandoned thousands of logs to rot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After terminating Delta\u2019s contract, Numopoh signed an MoU with African Finch\u2014but not without the help of Representative Romeo Quioh of Sinoe\u2019s District #1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The DayLight series revealed that Quioh allegedly coerced and bribed locals into signing the deal the same day it was introduced, violating their right to consent. Townsfolk claimed he directly and indirectly gave them L$3,000 and L$5,000. A townsman said he walked out of the signing ceremony in disagreement with Quioh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Townspeople alleged Quioh brought African Finch to Numopoh in fulfillment of an election pledge to bring jobs to his constituency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis whole thing is part of that big promise he made to the community during the campaign,\u201d said Alex Sanwon, a prominent Johnny Town resident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The series determined Quioh was involved in a conflict of interest due to his connection with African Finch, a breach of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asabre, the African Finch executive, at least confirmed Quioh\u2019s control of the company. He had told The DayLight in April to \u201cSpeak to [the] Hon\u201d in response to company-related queries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an April Facebook post<\/a>, Quioh denied that he had coerced or bribed the townspeople, but admitted to having a connection with the company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs\u2026 a member of the advisory board of the Board of Directors of African Finch Incorporation, my involvement in forestry-related matters is strictly within the confines of my legislative oversight responsibilities,\u201d said Quioh in the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quioh\u2019s admission added to African Finch\u2019s hidden human owners and the company\u2019s unproven UAE status, leaving more questions than answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stage.thedaylight.org\/wp68\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Certificate-Sample--1024x585.jpg\")
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