By our Staff Writer
Former Finance Minister in the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government, Amara Konneh and some present and past officials as well as ECOBANK Liberia are listed among 46 other persons of interest by the Liberian government’s Asset Investigation, Restitution and Recovery Team (AIRReT).
This is contained in a statement released by the Team on Thursday, July 18,2019 and signed by its Chairman, Cllr. Arthur Johnson, one of the leading criminal lawyers currently practicing in Liberia.
Mr. Konneh is currently an official of the World Bank Africa division assigned in East Africa.
Also making of the list of persons of interest are former Defense and Justice Ministers, Brownie J. Samukai and Cllr. Benedict Sannoh.
In a broadcast address to the nation on May 29, 2019, President George Weah made another promise to fight corruption, with a threat to recover all monies stolen from the country dating past to the past ten years.
“In the next several days, my Government will begin the review of all General Auditing Commission audits over the past 10 years, and will commence legal actions against every person that is implicated in these audit reports. Anyone found culpable will face the full force of the law. “
“In this same spirit, my Government also intends to contract international auditing and investigative firms to go after all monies and resources that were illegally taken from Liberia over the last 10 years. We must all take the fight against corruption to a new level as a form of social justice for all our people,” the head of the CDC government said.
Recently, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf told the international media that her son, Charles Sirleaf, one of the CBL was illegal arrested and jail in connection with the 16 billion Liberian dollars saga. She also strongly defended her other son, Robert Sirleaf’s record at the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), which became insolvent during her administration. But she said her son did nothing wrong.
Mrs. Sirleaf, who ruled Liberia for 12 years and handed power over to Weah on January 22, 2018, had also previously come up in strong defense of her former ruling Unity Party (UP) government’s financial stewardship.
President Weah however said his actions will not just be based on speculations.
“But as we battle corruption, our fight will be based on the facts and the evidence of corrupt activities that is adduced by reports from audits that have been professionally conducted, rather than mere perceptions and unsubstantiated allegations,” he said.
BELOW FULL TEXT BELOW:
A Partial official list of “Persons and Institutions of Interest” who have been invited by the AIRReT to appear before it starting from July 22, 2019 to provide clarifications on multiple questions arising out of GAC audit and LACC investigative reports:
- Pearine Parkinson
- Milton & Richards
- ECOBANK Liberia Limited
- Managing Director of ECOBABK
- Lori Shannon/ Karen Richards Barnes
- Harry Sando
- Joseph F. Johnson
- Hon. Brownie J. Samukai, Jr.
- J. Nyumah Dorkor
- Cllr. Benedict F. Sannoh
- Hon. Samuel Wlue
- Dr. Walter T. Gwanigale
- Matthew T. K. Flomo
- Angela Cassell-Bush
- John M. Langa
- Toagoe T. Karzon
- Dr. Bernice Dahn
- Hon. Edward Tolbert
- Amara Konneh—former Minister of Finance and Development Planning
- Binyah Kessely—former Commissioner-General, Liberia Maritime Authority
- Patrick Sandolo
- Jenkins O. Atuanya
- Sam Russ
- Norris Tweh
- Sumo G. Kupee
- Jackson F. Doe
- Edwin W. Sarvice
- Elizabeth M. Tubman
- Philip S. Sassie
- Oblayon B. Nyemah
- Luna M. Harmon
- Beford Quie
- Henry Sambola
- Samuel Semerville
- Sylvester N. Sieh
- William Hines
- Zack Sharp
- Stephen Dorbor
- George Miller
- Boiyan K. Kpakolo
- Herman Jones
- Felix McIntosh
- Vicent Goi
- Cllr. Stanley Kpakillen
- Gyude Allison
- Samuel Thompson
- Alexander S. Kromah
- Isaac Jackson
Note: The Chairman and Special Independent Counsel (SIC), Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson, would like to stress that the failure to honor this invitation and seek alternative arrangement for a possible deferred date for the conference at the time of his choosing would be construed and considered as a defiance, and an attempt to undermine the restitution and recovery process, and therefore, a ground to revert to the most appropriate legal recourse to compel compliance.
Signed:______________________
Cllr. Lafayette B. Gould Sr.,
Official Spokesman/AIRReT/MoJ
Approved:________________________
Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson
Chairman/Special Independent Counsel/AIRRET/MoJ/R.L.