PHOTO: Anderson Maimen, CENTAL boss
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia has advanced an eight-count recommendation aimed at buttressing the strategies and actions in fighting and reshaping public perception against corruption in the country.
Among other things, CENTAL’s Executive Director, Anderson Miamen recommended that the government should establish a specialized court to timely deal with corruption and issues related to financial and economic crimes.
Addressing a press conference in Monrovia on Tuesday, Mr. Miamen called on the government to make a timely, legal and inclusive decision on the matters relating to public integrity institutions and the fight against corruption in Liberia.
He stressed the need to give direct prosecutorial powers to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission and the passage of a law to protect whistleblowers.
“We want the government pass key anti-corruption laws, including an illicit enrichment act that will empowers the LACC and the Ministry of Justice to identify, recover and judiciously redeploy stolen resources,” he said; adding: “the law should shift the burden of proof on those accused of corruption, especially individuals and groups owning properties and other assets far beyond their legitimate incomes.”
Anti-corruption image
According to him, there is a need for the government to provide adequate moral and financial support to anti-corruption and integrity building efforts that have drastically declined under the Coalition for Democratic Change-led government.
“At the moment,” he continued, “the LACC only has three commissioners whereas it is supposed to be having five members.”
Mr. Maimen explained that other integrity institutions such as the General Auditing Commission, the Governance Commission and the Liberia Extractive Industrial Transparency Initiative have either officers in charge or acting heads and deputies for over one year, instead of the required appointed officials.
The CENTAL Executive Director proposed a complete, publish and fully implement findings and recommendations of all completed and outstanding investigations bordering on corruption and other governance and accountability issues in the country.
“This includes, but not limited to reports of the investigations into the 25 million United States Dollars mopping up exercise and circumstances that led to the dismissal of the former head of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia.
Mr. Miamen underscored the need for the government to be more consultative and inclusive in making appointments at public integrity institutions.
He maintained that President George Weah needs to include civil society organizations, development partners and other key actors in making appointment at the LACC, the General Auditing Commission (GAC), the Internal Auditing Agency and the Public Procurement and Concession Commission as well as other critical institutions leading and supporting the fight against corruption in Liberia.
CENTAL has urged the Liberian government to be sincere and committed to timely and impartially prosecuting corruption cases and acting on reports from the General Auditing Commission, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission and other relevant institutions.
According to him, the will to act against corruption must be impartial and not mainly directed at perceived government’s critics and those who appear to have fallen out with the regime and powerful people in society and public service.
At the same time, CENTAL has welcomed the decision by the United States government, through its Secretary of State’s Mike Pompeo to designate Andrew Wonplo, the suspended Director Passport at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , as unwelcome person in the US.
The Liberian anti-corruption watchdog group said it sees this action on the part of the US as a bold step in the right direction especially so that the Liberian government failed to pursue the case against Mr. Wonplo after charging him with multiple offences.
Mr. Wonplo, who served as Director of Passport, from 2018 t0 2019 was arrested along with a Nigerian national and charged for alleged economic sabotage for the alleged sails of Liberian passports.