By: Stephen Sonpon
The Center for Transparency Accountability in Liberia, CENTAL has called on President Joseph Boakai, with immediate effect to dismiss Officials of his government over failure to declared their assets.
Anderson Maimen indicated that President Joseph Boakai to go a step further from suspension to dismissing all officials within the executive found to have remained defiant by their refusal to declare their assets, incomes and liabilities.
He urged the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission to ensure that assets declared are not just kept on the shelves, but are timely verified, to ensure that the true essence and objectives of the asset declaration process are fully realized.
According to CENTAL, upon assuming office, President Joseph N. Boakai laudably appointed and commissioned a team, headed by Cllr. Findley D. Karngar to oversee the activities of the Office of Ombudsman, whose responsibilities include, but are not limited to enforcing the asset declaration requirement and ensuring that public officials fully comply with other relevant integrity, accountability and transparency standards.
Addressing a news conference in Monrovia Tuesday, CENTAL’s Executive Director Anderson Maimen, outlines some notable progress recorded so far in asset declaration compliance, including full compliance by the President and Vice President, Speaker, President Pro Tempore and other officials and 100 percent compliance levels at the Liberia Revenue Authority LRA.
Anderson Maimen stated that data gathered from the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission LACC shows that a considerable number of officials of government, including appointees, Legislators and Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia are still reneging on declaring their assets, incomes and liabilities.
It can be recalled that recently Chairperson of the Office of Ombudsman, Cllr. Findley D. Karngar recently recommended the suspension and withholding of one month of salaries and benefits of four of the five Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia, including outgoing Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh, Justice Yussif D. Kaba, Justice Jamesetta H. Wolokolie, and Justice Ceaineh D. Clinton Johnson along with 29 lawmakers -17 representatives and 12 senators for their failure to comply with Sections 15.1(c) and (d) of the Code of Conduct.
CENTAL expressed alter dismayed that officials at the highest levels of government who swore oath to uphold the laws of Liberia are in gross disregard of the very laws they swore to uphold.
Anderson Maimen has called on the Legislature to exercise its oversight responsibility in ensuring compliance by Supreme Court Justices, including through other sanctions provided by law and the majority lawmakers who have laudably declared their assets, incomes and liabilities to push for sanctions against their colleagues who have deliberately refused to respect the Code of Conduct.
Meanwhile CENTAL, has called on the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to publish a full status report on these affected individuals so as to allay concerns of disregard of the Code of Conduct and the Presidential directive.
