Claim 1: “Sen. Abraham Darius Dillon took US$45K for a car, US$10K for constituency visits, 5K for furniture, 3K for scratch cards, 3K gas slips, 75K for retreat food, etc. It’s even more than Amin Modad’s US$96K.”
Claim 2: “Yearly Budget of Sen. Darius Dillon: 10k for constituency visit and a 45k Jeep.”
Source: Martin K.N. Kollie
Verdict: Partly true and Misleading
Full Text: Martin K.N. Kollie, on October 9, 2024, claimed that Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillion collected above US$96K.
Additionally, Dillion’s yearly budget required him to receive US$10,000 for a constituency visit and a US$45,000 Jeep.
Kollie’s post is in connection with the resignation of Amin Modad, former Minister of Liberia’s Commerce and Industry, over controversies relating to a luxury SUV vehicle purchase for US$96K.
The claims are found here and here; at the time of the check, the post attracted 1.3k reactions, 989 comments, and 91 shares, while claim 2 attracted 266 reactions, 285 comments, and 13 shares.
Dillion was elected as Montserrado County Senator twice in 2019 and 2020.
He currently serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committees on Foreign Affairs and Information, Broadcasting, Culture, and Tourism at the 55th Liberian Senate.
Verification: In responding to Kollie’s claim, Dillion said the information provided contains inaccuracies and false claims to mislead the public. Adding that it is strictly politics.
Dillion said that he has never received any funds designated as monthly scratch cards valued at 3K, gasoline slips valued at 3K nor 75K for retreat food, etc.
Additionally, he said there is a budget allocation of US$45K for a car yet he has not received any funds or purchased a car as part of the 2024 budget.
“I have not received any “3K for scratch cards (monthly), 3K gas slips (monthly), and/or 75K for retreat food, etc. Even though 45K is budgeted for a car, I have neither received a dime of said money nor taken a car under this 2024 budget, Dillion stated via WhatsApp.
We contacted Acarous Gray, a two-term Representative of District #8 Montserrado County, to authenticate the claim.
Gray stated that during his term as Representative, 71 members of the House of Representatives received only gasoline compensation, as opposed to the other compensation mentioned by Martin.
Gray said this applied to the lower house, as he cannot speak for the Senate since he has not been a member.
Senator Prince K. Moye, head of the Liberian Senate Committee on Ways, Means, and Finance, explained that senators are receiving monthly salaries of $8,000, $2,000 for monthly gasoline, and US$10,000 per year for constituency visits and that the scratch card is not included in the 2024 budget as mentioned in Martin’s claim.
“In the 2024 budget, each senator will receive a vehicle costing $45,000. The procurement process is ongoing currently.”
When contacted, Kollie suggested that we review the approved 2024 National Budget and listen to Moye, who serves as the Head of the Ways, Means, and Finance Committee, to break it down.
We searched the 2024 approved budgets and found the following: $290,000 for constituency visits, $1,076,583 for gasoline, $145,000 for furniture, and $3,319,265 for basic salary, while constituency visits account for $150,000, gasoline for $1,076,583, and basic salary for $3,319,265; there was no allocation toward furniture in the 2023 fiscal budget.
Conclusion: Based upon our research, Kollie’s claim about Senator Dillion earning more than US$96K, 45K vehicles, and US$3K for a scratch card is misleading. Senators have yet to receive vehicles. Dillon and lawmakers receive US$2,000 for gasoline each month and US$10,000 per year for constituency visits.
