By Bill W. Cooper
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has announced plans that it will carry out a selective assets verification exercise following allegations that some public officials declared assets are false.
The move, according to the LACC comes as part of the government’s efforts to tackle corruption and ensure transparency in public office and the respect of the rule of law of the country.
The commission has since beefed up its fight against corruption, working to hold public officials accountable for their actions and ensure that public funds are used for their intended purposes.
In recent months, there have been allegations of false declaration of assets by some public officials, including President Joseph Boakai and his Vice President, Jeremiah Koung thus raising concerns about the integrity of the government and the misuse of public funds.
Other named include Speaker Fonati Koffa, Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, Senator Jonathan Boycharles Songbe, and the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) Managing Director, Mo Ali, among others.
As a result of the allegations, the LACC through its Executive Chairperson, Alexandra Zoe, has vowed to investigate these allegations and take actions against those engaged in corrupt practices and false declaration.
In respond to a journalist question at a news conference over the weekend, Cllr. Zoe noted that as part of its efforts to combat corruption, the LACC will carry out a selective assets verification exercise of key government officials.
She however clarified that reason behind the LACC’s selective assets verification process is due to the voluminous assets declaration documents expected to receive from government’s officials revealing, “Because the amount of government officials that are to declare, we will not be verifying all of the documents but will select the major and controversial documents for verification in the best interest of the country.”
According to her, the verification exercise will be carried out in a transparent and impartial manner, to ensure that public officials are held accountable for their actions through what they declared before the Commission as required by law.
Cllr. Zoe also emphasized the importance of cooperation from public officials in the verification process, urging them to provide accurate and up-to-date information about their assets.
She however reiterated her commitment to carrying out the verification exercise in accordance with the law and in a manner that upholds the principles of transparency and accountability.
