“CORRUPTION IN HIGH PLACES” CENTAL DISMAY OVER PRES. BOAKAI’S FIGHT AGAINST  CORRUPTION

 By Laymah Kollie

February 6, 2025

Monrovia: Barely two years in office, civil society actors and transparency institutions are already disappointed in the fight against corruption by President Joseph Boakai. Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), an anti-corruption Institution has expressed frustration in the manner and form the leader is operating.

CENTAL comment comes few days after the Boakai administration paid a whopping US$374,239.24 to Mr. Aloysius Tarlue, the former Governor of Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), as settlement benefits regarding a lawsuit bordering on his removal. On July 30, 2024, President Joseph Boakai suspended former CBL governor Tarlue, citing a GAC audit report that revealed significant compliance failures at the CBL from 2018-2023.

Tarlue in return contested his suspension, as he filed a writ of prohibition against President Boakai for wrongful suspension. After few hearings into the case by Supreme Court of Liberia, Ex-Governor Tarlue on January 13,2025, voluntarily filed an agreement to discontinue the case. The decision by Tarlue and the government of Liberia now raises questions about the President’s sincerity about engineering a different Liberia where there is non-more business as usual.

CENTAL in a Press Conference today questioned government’s intention to create transparency and accountability in public sectors when the President is allegedly funding a suspended government official to drop case instead of acting on audit reports. “We see hard times, we see disfunction, we see culture of impunity, we see corruption in high and low places. It is these and similar conditions that we have come to RESCUE. With just over a year in the office, the writings on the wall are becoming clearer regarding the President’s delivery on these promises.

The rule of law hangs in the balance as tenured officials have been removed contrary to law and replaced by partisans and associates of the Boakai administration” Mr. Anderson Miamen, Executive Director of CENTAL said. He added, “With the reason for Tarlue’ssuspension ostensibly linked to the outcome of an audit conducted by the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), we now wonder whether the alleged conduct of Tarlue was not the basis of his suspension, but simply a ploy to circumvent the law in favor of President Boakai and his cronies”.

Miamen stressed that in the midst of high levels of poverty and a plethora of development needs, taxpayers money have largely ended up in the pockets of a few high-ranking officials of government who live lavishly on the sweat of ordinary Liberians. Mentioning, allegations have abounded in the media that top officials of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) are earning monthly salaries and benefits exceeding US$15,000.

The situation led to President Boakai commissioning the Bureau of State-Owned Enterprises to investigate the claims and provide recommendations. For more than half a year now, there is no public record (s) available about the outcome of the mandated investigation into the matter.  

Considering President Boakai Asset declaration directive, CENTAL boss said it is largely ignored with Impunity Since January 2024, several officials of the Boakai-Koung administration have refused to adhere to the legal requirement of declaring their assets, income and liabilities, before taking office, in line with the Code of Conduct for Public Officials.

 In its report released in August 2024, the Liberia Anti-corruption Commission (LACC) reported a meager 26.5% compliance level. As a result, President Boakai issued a directive to all officials to comply within TEN (10) DAYS effective November 27, 2024 face immediate suspension from their respective positions, as mandated by law, until they meet the legal requirements. Ever since the deadline expiration of over two months ago, there is no public record available of the President’s action against non-compliant officials who failed to adhere to his directive, including some officials of the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs.

CENTAL echoed calls to President Boakai to act against officials breaking the law. “We call on the president to do the needful and take appropriate action.   The President’s inability to effectively address corruption has become embarrassing and glaringly evident. His snail-paced action and benevolence raise questions about the proper usage of taxpayers’ money”.

The anti-corruption entity further stated that this action by the President does not only undermine the principles of justice but also reflects poorly on the president’s ability to uphold his own promises of integrity, transparency and good governance. CENTAL believes that the Boakai-Koung Administration handling these situations exposes a troubling narrative of limited political and presidential will as well as gross failure to deliver on the rule law, transparency, and other key democratic values and principles.

CENTAL therefore recommends the following: The Government must provide a full public disclosure of the findings from the General Auditing Commission’s audit and a detailed explanation of the rationale behind the settlement with Mr. Tarlue. The administration must take decisive actions to ensure that such incidents are thoroughly investigated and that those found guilty are held accountable without exception.

He said the Government must prioritize the fight against corruption and demonstrate their commitment to integrity through their actions and not misuse taxpayers’ money for questionable settlements. He noted that such will not only betray public trust but also divert funds away from critical public services such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.  

“We conclude by urging the President to be vigilant and do not give a blind eye to the fight against corruption. More importantly, taxpayers’ money must be utilized appropriately and not for ambiguous and exorbitant settlements. We also encourage the press to continue their invaluable work in uncovering the truth and to join us in advocating for a government that truly upholds the principles of transparency and accountability”.

CENTAL is a transparency civil society organization currently working in Liberia. The Institution is known for advocating against corruption and cautioning public officials to prioritize, transparency and accountability in Liberia.