Sekou Dukuly, Liberia Port Authority: Minnesota Medicaid Payments Under Scrutiny

• Sekou A. M. Dukuly, Managing Director of Liberia's National Port Authority, is under scrutiny for his past business dealings in Minnesota.
• Companies connected to Dukuly received at least US$36 million in state and Medicaid payments over a decade from operating about two dozen Minnesota group homes.
• Minnesota authorities investigated suspected maltreatment in Dukuly-linked facilities on at least 22 occasions, determining neglect in 10 cases, with four investigations involving resident deaths.
• Dukuly's appointment by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to lead the NPA, which manages Liberia's major ports, has brought his financial and business history under increased scrutiny.
• The findings emphasize the need for enhanced due diligence on Liberian public officials to mitigate reputational and regulatory risks for entities engaging with the country's institutions.

For lawyers and compliance officers engaging with the NPA or other Liberian public institutions, these findings underscore the necessity for enhanced due diligence.

Sekou A. M. Dukuly, the current Managing Director of Liberia's National Port Authority (NPA), is facing heightened scrutiny regarding his past business dealings in Minnesota. His rapid ascent from a U.S.-based businessman to a prominent Liberian public official under the Joseph Boakai administration has brought his financial history and the management of taxpayer-funded care facilities in the United States into question. Dukuly, who was appointed to lead the NPA in 2024, now oversees Liberia's critical port infrastructure, including the Freeport of Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, and Harper.

An extensive investigation by MPR News and APM Reports, drawing on state records and interviews, has detailed Dukuly's involvement in Minnesota's group-home industry. The probe revealed that companies linked to Mr. Dukuly received at least US$36 million in state payments over approximately a decade. This significant financial trail in Minnesota now intersects with his role as a senior Liberian government official, prompting new inquiries into his business interests and the circumstances surrounding his appointment to such a strategically important public institution.

The investigation uncovered that Sekou Dukuly was associated with approximately two dozen Minnesota group homes, many situated in the northwestern suburbs of Minneapolis-St. Paul. These facilities were designed to provide housing, supervision, and care for vulnerable individuals, including those with mental illnesses and physical disabilities, with their operations heavily reliant on state and Medicaid-funded payments. Minnesota's care system for its vulnerable residents is substantially supported by government funding, making the licensing, financial oversight, and resident treatment within such facilities matters of significant public interest.

Dukuly's involvement in these businesses varied; in some instances, he reportedly established the operating companies and declared an ownership interest. Furthermore, some of these facilities operated from properties that he either owned or had previously owned. Minnesota health records independently corroborate his association with assisted-living facilities, specifically naming Ashton Homes LLC and Berkeley Heights Homes LLC, and state directories list him as an owner or responsible party for several such operations.

Beyond the financial aspects, the MPR News/APM Reports investigation also brought to light serious allegations concerning the quality of care in facilities linked to Sekou Dukuly. Minnesota authorities reportedly investigated suspected maltreatment on at least 22 occasions. Following these inquiries, state authorities determined that residents had been neglected in 10 of those cases. Alarmingly, four of these investigations involved resident deaths.

The scale and nature of these operations, coupled with the reliance on public funding, underscore the importance of robust financial controls and ethical management. Dukuly's transition from overseeing a network of publicly funded care homes in the U.S. to managing Liberia's National Port Authority, an institution described on its website as benefiting from his 15+ years of experience in business development, mergers and acquisitions, auditing, and financial management, now places his entire business and financial history under a magnified lens of public and international scrutiny.

The revelations surrounding Sekou Dukuly's past business activities in Minnesota and his current leadership role at the Liberia National Port Authority highlight critical considerations for international entities. For lawyers and compliance officers engaging with the NPA or other Liberian public institutions, these findings underscore the necessity for enhanced due diligence. Such scrutiny should extend to the financial probity and past business dealings of senior officials, particularly concerning potential conflicts of interest or allegations of mismanagement of public funds.

Mitigating reputational and regulatory risks requires a thorough understanding of the backgrounds of key public figures. The intersection of a significant U.S. business empire, substantial Medicaid payments, and allegations of neglect with a high-profile Liberian public office serves as a potent reminder of the complexities and potential pitfalls in international engagements, emphasizing the need for comprehensive risk assessments.

Lawyers and compliance officers engaging with Liberia's National Port Authority or other Liberian public institutions should conduct enhanced due diligence on the financial probity and past business dealings of senior officials, particularly concerning potential conflicts of interest or allegations of mismanagement of public funds, to mitigate reputational and regulatory risks.

Source: Original reporting via MPR News and APM Reports