Mila Commodities, one of the foremost dealer of Liberia's staple rice is said to have imported a huge consignment of contaminated rice into the country.

According to an independent investigation conducted by The Monitor, the company since it establishment has been importing rice into the country from Brazil, Pakistan and Thailand.

The investigation however indicates that more than 60,000 of the rice imported into the country early this year from Brazil and Pakistan and Thailand are contaminated with foreign particles.

Our investigation also established that 30% of the rice is discolored while 30% contained foreign particles and that the rice has already been condemned by the Inspectorate Division of the Ministry of Commerce d Industry, but the rice is being gradually sold on the Liberian market.

According to the investigation, some officials of the Ministry of Commerce, especially from the Inspectorate Division, have of late joined in cohort with the company's local Manager Sam Fayah to allegedly sell the spoiled rice secretly to its many customers, most of whom are from the hinterland. 

Our reporter, while visiting the company's Bushrod Island offices, saw several truckloads of rice departing for the countryside, while officials believed to have come from the Ministries of Commerce & Industry and National Security, were frequenting the area. Some journalists were on the scene perhaps attempting to verify similar information.

The Country Manager of the company, Sam Fayah said: “my brother, our boss is in London and if you like you can wait for him to address your concern, I am only the Marketing Manager.”

The Inspector- General of the Ministry & Industry Macaetoh Wreh who spoke this paper Wednesday, February 24 confirmed that contaminated rice is being sold on the Liberia market. She said a quantity of the contaminated rice in question was seized by the Ministry for proper investigation.

This is not the first time that contaminated rice has been imported on the Liberian Market. In 2009, several rice importing companies were wrapped in a similar web.