Clarifies Politician’s Assertion That CENTA Has A Political Side
Press Statement
Monrovia, Wednesday, June 7, 2023
The attention of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has been drawn to statements made by Mr. Mohammed Ali, a Liberian Politician, and Panelist on the live night-time program: “Spoon Talk” on the Spoon Communications Network on Tuesday, June 5, 2023. In an apparent response to CENTAL’s 2021 State of Corruption Report (SCORE), which revealed amongst many others, conflict of interest involving key officials of government, Mr. Ali alleged that Mr. Anderson D. Miamen, the Executive Director of CENTAL “vigorously campaigned for Madam Edith Gongloe Weh as one of her campaign managers during the 2020 Senatorial Election in Nimba County”. He further alleged that during the said campaign, he and Mr. Miamen were “on the same side”.
CENTAL clarifies that the claim made by Mr. Ali in reference to Executive Director Miamen’s involvement in campaign activities is baseless, unfounded, and only intended to divert attention from matters of critical importance. We wish to state further that at no time Mr. Anderson Miamen or any member of its staff, ever participated in active politics in Liberia, while in the employ of the institution. In particular, at no time did Mr. Miamen serve as “one of the campaign managers of Madam Edith Gongloe Weh” during the 2020 Senatorial Election in Nimba County.
At CENTAL, we have a track record of independent research and policy advocacy and will continue to do so, irrespective of the issues and individuals or groups involved. Integrity, political neutrality, and independence are among the organization’s values and principles, to which all staff, including the Executive Director, conform. In this light, we strongly encourage Mr. Ali to retract the said statements.
In closing, we thank the public, our donors, and other stakeholders for supporting us over the years. We reiterate our commitment to working collaboratively with other stakeholders and partners for a better Liberia.
Thank you.
Signed:
Management
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