Despite Legal Setbacks Liberia’s Asset Recovery Taskforce Presses Forward
By Feeme M Wantee
June 29, 2025
Monrovia: Liberia’s Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (ARPRT) has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to tracking and reclaiming assets illicitly taken from the state.
Undeterred by legal obstacles and public scrutiny, the taskforce Chair, Cllr. Clark Martin emphasized the legal and strategic measures being taken to confront corruption and uphold accountability.
The Taskforce was established on January 5, 2024, by President Joseph Boakai as a cornerstone of his administration’s anti-corruption agenda. Its mandate is to trace, identify, and recover stolen public assets both within Liberia and abroad
Speaking at Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism press briefing Cllr. Martin revealed that shortly after the Taskforce began its work, it faced significant legal setback due to a petition that was filed to the Supreme Court which effectively paused operations for nine months. He said however, the Taskforce quietly continued its investigations behind the scenes, compiling evidence and preparing case files.
According to Cllr Martin When the Supreme Court lifted the legal stay, President Boakai moved swiftly to restructure and reaffirm the Taskforce’s authority. Re-launched on March 5, 2025, Cllr Martin said the reconstituted Taskforce inherited 17 active cases, a number that has since grown to 26, gathered through intelligence and documentation review.
He noted that among the most prominent investigations is a case involving humanitarian aid from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which donated $500,000 worth of rice and relief supplies intended for disaster victims.
According to Cllr Martin, more than 9,000 bags of rice reportedly disappeared in transit between the National Disaster Management Agency and the General Services Agency. “We have completed investigations into three major corruption cases and twelve individuals have been indicted, Liberia is Africa’s oldest republic, yet our development has lagged behind” Martin stated.
Cllr Martin said the systemic abuse of public resources by those in power has stifled progress across critical sectors from infrastructure and education to healthcare.
The Taskforce boss said accused were granted opportunities to respond through legal channels, but some refused. According to him, the taskforce has since secured indictments through the Grand Jury and are proceeding in Criminal Court C.” To prevent suspects from fleeing the country. “The Taskforce has obtained a Writ of Ne Exeat Republica, effectively barring the indicted individuals from international travel until legal proceedings are concluded, we operate within the boundaries of the law, every move we make from investigation to indictments grounded in legal procedure and due process. We are not pursuing arrests without cause or court approval.” Martin emphasized.
International cooperation is also yielding promising outcomes. Cllr. Martin reported ongoing collaboration with the United Kingdom, where the Taskforce has traced assets and is preparing to file recovery petitions under both Liberian and UK legal frameworks.
He said two additional cases are nearing final stages pending review of the remaining evidence. The public will be updated on developments as soon as they are finalized, Martin assured. He expressed gratitude to Liberia’s international allies and called on domestic government agencies to fully support the Taskforce’s efforts. “This is not a political witch hunt,” he concluded.
“This is a legal and moral responsibility. It’s about protecting the integrity of our institutions and ensuring that the Liberian people reclaim what is rightfully theirs.” Liberia is working to rebuild trust in its governance systems, the ARPRT continues to play a vital role in the fight against corruption and the restoration of public confidence.
