-SG announces a Team of top Lawyers to probe ex-Liberian officials, retrieve stolen Money
The well over one-year-old CDC government, which is itself plunged into alleged corruption scams, has announced the setting up of an investigation team to probe some officials in the former Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government based on various audit reports unearthing financial improprieties.
Liberia’s Solicitor General Cllr. Sema Cyrenius Cephus earlier this week said he has set up an investigative team made of critical and experienced Liberian lawyers to be joined by some international lawyers from Europe for the probe.
His office has mandated the investigative team called, Asset Investigation Restitution and Recovery Team (AIRRT), which is head by prominent Liberian lawyer, Cllr. Arthur Johnson. They are expected to commence the cases beginning Monday, July 8, 2019, starting specifically with four major cases.
According to Solicitor General Cephus, the international lawyers will be arriving in Monrovia shortly.
He said he has mandated the head of the investigative team, Cllr. Johnson, who is credible, rigorous, vigorous and qualified to perform the task.
“As of Monday, I have mandated him specifically to deal with four major cases immediately,” he told journalists.
The Solicitor-General pointed out that the first case is the one from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICAT) involving former Minister Lewis G. Brown, who denied that he was never audited.
This will be followed by the other case from the Ministry of Health led by former Minister Dr. Bernice Dahn and the Defense Ministry under the leadership of former Minister Brownie J. Samukai.
The Liberian Solicitor General said the cases involve former Defense Minister Brownie Samukai, which he refused and asked for more holistic and comprehensive review before any indictment; and the one involving Transport Minister Samuel Wulu for which he has asked for critical and comprehensive review. Wlue was one of Ellen’s officials retained by the government of President George Weah when he took office on January 22, 2018.
Because of the gravity of the cases, Cllr. Cephus has said there will be international expert lawyers that will be arriving in subsequent time to assist with the investigation in keeping with government’s mandate to fight corruption.
Top on the list of former Liberian officials of interest in the Sirleaf government to be probed is Lewis G. Brown, former Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICAT).
Cllr. Cephus told journalists that the four former officials are persons of interest whose names were captured in the past regime’s audit reports conducted by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) for alleged siphoning of state funds entrusted to them.
The four major cases emanated from the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to review and determine either restitution or possible prosecution.
According to Cllr. Cephus, his administration as Solicitor-General will fight against corruption and he will ensure that all monies are retrieved from them, or their assets and properties seized in accordance with the Constitution of Liberia and the law.
The new Solicitor-General, however explained that the former Deputy Minister of Finance Minister under former President Sirleaf, Dr. James Kollie who is now serving as Liberia Maritime Authority Commissioner, whose name was also listed in the GAC Reports for alleged corruption, has been exempted.
Cllr. Cephus said this is so because Dr. Kollie’s name was ‘inadvertently’ placed in this category of the list.
Although it has been in power for less than two year, the CDC government itself has to clear a lot of skeleton in its own closets, ranging from the 16 billion Liberian dollars saga, the US$25 million mop up exercise led by the Technical Economic Management Team and the massive personal construction projects being carried out by President George Weah and some of his officials without declaring their assets.
Two international and local independent investigations months ago uncovered gross discrepancies in the L$16 billion and US$25 million cases, which investigators noted bordered on criminality and possible money laundering.
One of the demands of the June 7 protesters was the dismissal of Finance Minister Samuel Tweah and Central Bank of Liberia Governor Nathaniel Patray and their prosecution in connection with the billions LD and millions US financial saga. J-Karba Williams contributed to this report