A major corruption scandal has shaken the Planned Parenthood Association of Liberia (PPAL) as Criminal Court ‘C’ on Monday sentenced its Program Manager, Enree B. Neeplo, to 10 years in prison for her role in what prosecutors describe as a “brazen misuse” of organizational funds.
The ruling, handed down by Judge Blamo Dixon, followed a guilty verdict delivered by a jury in July 2024. Neeplo was convicted of economic sabotage and several related crimes, including theft, criminal conspiracy, misuse of entrusted property, and illegal disbursement of funds.
In addition to her prison sentence, Neeplo has been ordered to repay more than $200,000 to the state and fined $300. Court records revealed that the misappropriated funds were used for a variety of unauthorized expenses, including the purchase of a PEWETTA vehicle and a Ford Everest SUV, the procurement of laptops, catering services, and questionable youth program payments.
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), which initiated the investigation and indictment, described the case as “a breakthrough in holding high-level actors in the non-profit and health sector accountable.”
Neeplo had requested a separate trial, but the court ultimately proceeded with a joint trial involving four other officials: Miatta K.K. Kojolo, Ernest Vobah, Peter Collins, and William Gibson, all implicated in the scandal. Judge Dixon said the evidence against Neeplo was “overwhelming and incontrovertible.”
“This is a loud message to public servants and NGO leaders alike: impunity is no longer the default,” Judge Dixon said during sentencing.
The case has shocked the public and development partners alike, given the central role Planned Parenthood plays in reproductive health and youth empowerment in Liberia. Advocacy groups and donor organizations are now calling for an independent audit of all PPAL projects funded over the past five years.
As the legal dust settles, the scandal stands as one of the most serious public sector fraud cases in recent Liberian history, raising fresh questions about accountability and transparency in both government and non-governmental institutions.
