Press Statement for Immediate Release

Thursday, May 12, 2022 

Maintain the Integrity and Sanctity of the Liberian Passport: CENTAL Cautions the Weah Administration

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the Press, fellow Liberians.

On Monday, May 9, 2022, Liberians awoke to another disturbing news about apparent misdeeds in government, especially at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Like the 2020 Andrew Wonploe passport scandal related to the sale of Liberian Passports to non-Liberians, for which he was designated by the United States Government for undermining the rule of law and compromising the integrity and security of immigration processes, another grave report has emerged about Liberia’s diplomatic passport being in a wrong and undeserving hand. Frontpage Africa reported, quoting American Court sources, that Liberian businessman, Sheik Bassirou Kante, is undergoing trial in the U.S for money laundering conspiracy and was denied bail over several concerns, including possession of a Liberian diplomatic passport and his ‘deep personal relationship’ with the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Madam Jewel Howard Taylor. According to the report, Mr. Kante, alias Royal Gold, who is being tried for wire fraud amounting to US$ 7 Million, admitted to occupying no formal diplomatic position in the Liberian Government. 

The Center for Transparency and Accountability is deeply concerned about the unceasing trends of these incidents, especially this latest passport scandal, which adds to multiple similar cases reported about the continuous sale of Liberian Passports (ordinary, official, and diplomatic) to undeserving and unscrupulous individuals for probable dubious business dealings and other clandestine purposes, including but not limited to corruption, money laundering, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.  Like the Andrew Wonploe saga of 2020, Danish Journalist saga of 2012, and other scandals previously uncovered, this undermines the rule of law, national security, and the integrity and sanctity of our passport granting process. Additionally, it exposes the vulnerability of our systems and processes and devalues our priceless Liberian identity. It is extremely painful that while ordinary citizens queue during early hours and for several days to get passports, to which they are entitled, others have found it rewarding to deny their own citizens in favor of a passport black market. Such disgraceful acts have the tendency to place Liberia as a pariah in the comity of nations, since they have the propensity to undermine international peace and security.

CENTAL is very disappointed that the unorthodox dealings of public officials and their accomplices have become common place in Liberia, as government officials and their collaborators orchestrate plans to defraud the country and fatten their own pockets, at the expense of ordinary Liberians and voters who continue to be grossly mistreated by their leaders. Liberia is not for sale, and we caution the Weah administration to desist from despicable acts that rob Liberians of their heritage because of a few pieces of silver. The latest passport scandal speaks to many things. Among others, it shows:

1. Gross vulnerability of the system and process for awarding passports (ordinary, official, and diplomatic);
2. Limited political will and the culture of impunity for corruption and other related offenses, especially those perpetrated by high-ranking public officials;
3. That often sugar-coated and cosmetic reaction from the national government, whenever major scandals are reported, has done very little to deter those involved and others harboring/having similar ambitions;
4. The level of commitment required from the Presidency and Legislature to thoroughly and independently investigate these matters as well as fully support institutions statutorily mandated to do are very limited. 
5. Weak leadership and oversight of the Legislature, as it fails to effectively and independently oversee the work of the executive, the ministry of foreign affairs, and the passport granting process in this instant case;
6. Undue influence and involvement of the politically connected in the passport granting process, especially higher-ups in government and their cronies and confidantes; and
7. Weak internal oversight and scrutiny mechanisms and processes leave many things unchecked and vulnerable to manipulation and abuse by people lacking the integrity to serve in public service.

We wish to thank the President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency George Manneh Weah for launching an investigation into the matter. While the move by the President to instantly probe into the matter is welcoming, we strongly believe that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is conflicted and cannot be trusted to independently and robustly interrogate said scandal. As the granting of passports to undeserving individuals has been lingering for many years, an investigation that will lead to concrete and lasting solution (s) cannot be left to the very entity and officials presiding over the process. From all indications, the latest development is a symptom of a long-standing problem, which could be traced to the very officials requested by the President to probe into the matter.  For a credible process that ensures the confidence of the public and development partners, the President of Liberia should constitute an independent committee comprising of credible and reputable individuals from the religious community, civil society, the Press as well as the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission to thoroughly oversee the matter.

As this matter is tied to the integrity and sanctity of the country, it cannot and should be treated lightly and subjected to the same “business as usual” approach to dealing with delicate matters in the country. 

CENTAL wish to remind President Weah and his Government about earlier and repeated commitments made to fight against Corruption and promote good governance, as emphasized in the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development. Such commitment cannot and should not be a matter of lip-service and the usual rhetoric that have characterized successive governments in Liberia. Rather, it should be about genuine and demonstrated desire and commitment to pursue a sincere and an impartial fight against corruption. This is the surest way Liberia can be prosperous, economically viable, and strategically positioned to lift its citizens out of poverty and provide basic social services that are decentralized, inclusive, adequate, gender sensitive, and of the required quality. 

In conclusion, we call on our development partners to be more vigilant and unwavering in standing by the Liberian People by exposing individuals who continue to collude to defraud the Country and keep ordinary Liberians trapped in poverty-stricken conditions. More and more sanctions for corrupt and unscrupulous individuals and officials of government are what we need as a strong deterrent tool for the increasing level of corruption and bad governance in the country. Also, we call on the media, civil society, and ordinary citizens to remain vocal and unrelenting in highlighting societal ills and demanding accountability of their leaders, while also denouncing corruption themselves.  The new Liberia we collectively seek will not arrive in the midst of rampant corruption and other forms of bad governance.

Thank you.

Signed:

Management

CSOs Express Concern Over IMF’s $350 Millon Covid-Related Funds

…Accuse Government of Being Tightlipped

A local civil society organization, Public Health Initiative Liberia (PHIL) says the whereabouts of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) $350 million allocation to Liberia intended to, among other things: boost the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) reserves; support economic growth and fight Covid 19 though vaccines remains in limbo.

PHIL’s Executive Director, Joyce L. Kilikpo said PHIL, along with other CSOs have been exerting efforts to demand for accountability on the prudent utilization of the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDR) that was allotted to Liberia, but to no avail.

Speaking Thursday, May 5, 2022, on CENTAL’s Integrity Watch Radio Program aired on ECOWAS Radio 91.5 FM and relayed on Prime 105.5 FM, Madam Kilikpo said it is frustrating that key government institutions concerned, including the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) have vehemently refused to provide any information on the whereabouts of the fund.

“It’s so sad and very frustrating that a Government that should be accountable to the people would refuse to provide information on money that was intended to help the country and its people. The lack of information, or access to information, especially under this administration is seriously hampering our work as CSOs,” said Madam Kilikpo.

According to the PHIL boss, of all the institutions/organizations written/engaged since February this year on the whereabouts of the US$350 million, only the Ministry of Health and IMF have so far responded to their inquiries. Both Ministry of Health and IMF have expressed concerns over the fund. The IMF has called for openness in all processes regarding this and other funds for Liberia.  

“The MFDP and CBL are yet to give us audience since we wrote them in February requesting to have a meeting with them on the matter,” she stated.  

The SDR is an international reserve asset, created by the IMF in 1969 to supplement its member countries' official reserves. To date, a total of SDR 660.7 billion (equivalent to about US$943 billion) have been allocated. A country's IMF quota, the maximum amount of financial resources that it is obligated to contribute to the fund, determines its allotment of SDRs.

However, Madam Kilikpo stated that credible information received indicate that the Government of Liberia unilaterally redirected the funds to infrastructure development without the knowledge and consent of its partners/stakeholders.

“Even though this information is yet to be verified, but the refusal of these two key institutions to give us audience speaks to the lack of transparency and accountability on the SDR allocated to Liberia,” the PHIL boss said. Meanwhile, the Public Health Initiative Liberia Executive Director has called for a joint advocacy effort by CSOs in the country on the matter.

In 2019, nine (9) foreign diplomats, including the head of the European Delegation to Liberia and ambassadors of the United States of America, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland warned the Government of Liberia against redirection of their monies at the CBL.

The diplomats accused the Government of irregular withdrawals of their project monies from the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) for use outside of the intended purposes.

The Integrity Watch Radio Program is a key advocacy tool of CENTAL that provides essential information around the state of the fight against corruption and national integrity building efforts as well as promotes the culture of accountability, transparency, integrity and evidence-based decision-making across all sectors and institutions in the country. Aired Wednesday and Thursday on Truth FM and ECOWAS Radio, the Program serves as an advocacy, coordination and engagement platform to rally citizens and other stakeholders’ support for the fight against corruption and bad governance in Liberia.

With support from the Government of Sweden through SIDA, it is an activity under CENTAL’s ongoing National Integrity Building and Anti-Corruption (NIBA) Program.  

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Monrovia, Wednesday, April 13, 2022

‘Stand on the side of the Liberian People’: CENTAL tells Pres. Weah amid Allegations of Corruption at LISGIS

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, members of the Press, fellow Liberians, and development partners. Over the last few days, with disappointment, we have again observed accusations and counter-accusations of significant Corruption among some public officials at the country’s statistical house, the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS). These grave allegations do not only point to abuse of taxpayers’ money, but also flagrant disregard of internal control procedures, as well as side-stepping of procurement and public financial management laws and guidelines. They portend an avoidable collapse of our democratic order through violations of constitutional provisions on holding of national census and general and presidential elections, which are germane to our democracy. On the other hand, they further justify funding modalities by donors and partners, which seek to limit and prevent government’s direct access to and management of development aids/project funds.

It can be recalled that on March 30, 2022, Frongtpage Africa reported alleged financial mal-practices at LISGIS. Under the headline ‘Corruption Gallore at LISGIS’, the paper revealed that out of 1.8 million United States Dollars received by LISGIS from the government of Liberia as share of budget to conduct the delayed national housing and population census , only US$ 700,000 has been transferred by LISGIS to the Census account, which is being managed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Also, appearing on the April 9 & 10, 2022 editions of the Spoon Talk on Spoon 107.5 FM, the Census Coordinator and Deputy Director-General for Statistics and Data Processing at LISGIS, Mr. Alex G. Williams confirmed the allegations and further implicated the management of LISGIS in the scandal characterized by irregular payments that are at odds with Liberian Laws. Mr. Williams further disclosed that the corruption is the main reason why Liberia has not substantially fulfilled its undertaking to contribute to the census cost, and that census cannot be held until such contribution is made.

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press and fellow Liberians, the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia notes with utter dismay that these alleged unorthodox dealings do not only signal corruption, but undermine partners and citizens’ confidence in the governance process, undermine Liberia’s democracy, and indicate flagrant disregard for public financial management and procurement laws by public officials. For instance, LISGIS Director-General, Prof. Francis Wreh had retracted an initial statement that US$1 million was transferred to the Census account, noting that only US$700,000 was transferred thereto, while the $300,000 was retained by LISGIS for “census operation”. We cannot help but wonder why monies intended for the census account maintained by UNFPA were retained by LISGIS and subsequently misapplied by LISGIS officials to the detriment of the country, as the allegations now depict. Leaked documents containing bank transactions and checks, if valid, are sufficient to give weight to the allegations as well as to warrant stern administrative sanctions by the President. Also, report that LISGIS officials are not fully cooperating with the LACC investigation is disturbing and demonstrate no regard for the rule of law and anti-corruption mechanisms, especially by the accused individuals.

Therefore, we call on President George Weah to stand on the side of the Constitution and the Liberian People by demonstrating zero tolerance for corruption and bad governance in his administration, especially in this instant case. We call on the President to suspend the officials at the center of these reported corrupt practices, pending outcomes of the ongoing investigation by the LACC into the matter. Furthermore, President Weah must ensure to protect Mr. G. Alex Williams who, from many indications, appears to be the Whistleblower in this matter. If the battle against corruption must be won, persons who divulge such information are deserving of protection by the state, especially so when legal instruments to guarantee their full protection have already been proposed by the Executive.

These are the very least actions CENTAL, many Liberians, and even development partners expect from the Government and the Presidency, given the very concerning nature of these allegations.  The President must not turn a blind eye to these happenings in an attempt to protect his officials and to create the impression that the government is corruption-free.  To the contrary, such would only portray lack of courage and will on the part of the President to genuinely fight against corruption. Also, the country cannot afford another postponement of census and persons seeking to undermine it and related democratic processes must be held fully accountable. We reiterate further that these and previous allegations and confirmed incidences of Corruption continue to discredit the country’s ability to effectively and efficiently manage major activities and processes, thereby increasingly constraining international partners to seek better ways to help the Liberian people.

Liberia can only be taken seriously if anti-corruption measures are scrupulously enforced and the fight against corruption given top priority, as a crucial pillar of government’s development agenda. With the latest United States Government’s Human Rights Report pointing to impunity for corruption in government and weak enforcement of anti-corruption laws and policies, the need for timely and concrete actions from the Liberian Government against Corruption cannot be overemphasized. Therefore, we entreat all public officials to denounce corruption and act with integrity. More importantly, we urge President Weah to show genuine political will and commitment in the fight against corruption, as the public is yet to see much from the Presidency in this regard. As mere utterances do not constitute show of commitment, Liberians look forward to seeing timely, decisive, and impartial actions (suspension, dismissal, etc.) from the President against public official at the center of grave corruption allegations, including the current saga at LISIGIS. Also, we reiterate call for increased financial, moral, logistical, and technical support to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission and other public integrity institutions to independently, effectively, and efficiently deliver on their mandates in making corruption and bad governance issues of the past in Liberia.

Thank you.

Signed:

Management