The Inquirer is a leading independent daily newspaper published in Liberia, based in Monrovia. It is privately owned with a "good reputation".

“Investigate Our Sanctions” -Cephus Pleads With Weah

As the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) continues designating or sanctioning top officials of the Weah administration, one of the designees, Sayma Syrenius Cephus, is suggesting to President George Weah the investigation of said actions against his officials.


The United States Government has sanctioned seven top Liberian officials in a period less than two years in the Weah regime. On August 15, 2022, Nathaniel McGill, then Minister of State for Presidential Affairs; Sayma Syrenius Cephus, then Solicitor General, and Bill Twehway, then Director of the National Port Authority, were all sanctioned for their alleged involvement in ongoing public corruption in Liberia.


On December 8, 2023, the Mayor of the city of Monrovia and Secretary General of the Coalition for Democratic Change, Jefferson Koijee, was sanctioned for alleged abuse of human rights and other issues. Days after, December 12, Senators Albert Chie and Emmanuel Nuquay, along with Finance Minister, Samuel Tweah, were added to the list for reported involvement in corruption.


Following the last batch of the US visa restriction for those involved, the former solicitor general, in an open letter to the Liberian Chief Executive, stressed the need to have an independent panel established to have those sanctioned by the United States Government investigated.


According to the sanctionee, the immediate commission a panel of international experts to investigate the growing waves of sanctions on top Liberia officials will initiate the actual basis behind his officials being targeted by the US.


According to Cephus, Liberia’s current democratic gains, which culminated into Weah’s recent decision to graciously concede defeat in a free, fair and competitive contest, are being grossly undermined by the current waves of economic sanctions being imposed by the US Treasury Department on a number of officials in the regime.


He furthered explained that if President Weah does not take action of investigation to ascertain the actuality in these situations, his (Weah) political future will be haunted if there is any vision of getting involved again into active politics.


The letter said, “Your Excellency’s government is on the verge of leaving power with a horde of falsely decorated “corrupt officials”, something which I suspect will not only obviously overshadow Liberia’s current democratic credentials on the world stage, but could later haunt and hurt you so badly that your future bid, (if will ever happen again), for the highest office in this country, could become a laughing stock.”


The sanctioned former Solicitor General of Liberia said the panel should consist of international experts. He suggested that it be chaired the by Economic Community of West African States and Co-chaired by a Liberian.


He added that it be drawn from the Liberian National Bar (LNBA), the African Bar, the European Criminal Bar Association (ECBA), the International Criminal Court Criminal (ICC), and at least retired officials from OFAC.


“I hereby beseech Your Excellency to immediately commission a Panel of international experts, chaired by ECOWAS and Co-chaired by a Liberian, and should be drawn from the Liberian National Bar(LNBA), the African Bar, the European Criminal Bar Association(ECBA), the International Criminal Court Criminal (ICC), and at least retired officials from OFAC, and an observer from the African Union(AU) to investigate these sanctions against not just mere individuals in your government, but core officials of your government.”

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