By Bill W. Cooper
Liberia’s former Auditor General, John Morlu, has criticized President Joseph Boakai’s recently established assets recovery team, accusing them of being incompetent and corrupt individuals that lack the knowledge to recover stolen assets.
Morlu has been one of President Boakai key allies, serving as the auditor for the Unity Party (UP) campaign team during the just ended Presidential election.
In a statement issued late Sunday evening, Morlu accused President Boakai of “walking in the shadow of former Presidents George Weah, Samuel Doe, and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, by failing to take decisive actions against those who have looted the country’s resources.
Recently, President Boakai issued an Executive Order # 126, establishing the Office of Assets Recovery, to identify, trace, and retrieve assets that have been illegally acquired or converted to private use.
The initiative came in response to widespread concerns regarding the unlawful acquisition of wealth by some past government officials at the expense of the Liberians over the years, precisely the regime of former President Weah.
Those forming part of the team are Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, Chairperson; Maima Robertson, Vice Chairperson; Alexander Cuffy, Member; Martin Kollie, Member; Ahmed Dempster, Member, and Emmanuel Gonquoi, Member.
Others are Ranny B. Jackson, Member, Public Policy Expert; Angel Andrews, Member, Youth Representative; Victoria Moinsemah, Member, Business Community; George Moore, Member, Security, and John Mulbah Gblee, Member, Security.
Joining the team also are Trokon Martin Allen, Member; reps from the General Services Agency, Liberia National Police, and Ministry of Justice, while the Minister of State Without Portfolio for Special Services serves as ex-officio.
But in response to the President’s decision, Morlu noted that corruption control requires solid and sustained action and not political grandstanding embellished in deceit and hypocrisy that has been practiced over the years.
This, he narrated, “The Executive Order to establish an Asset Recovery Taskforce from the very beginning is a mere posturing on the part of JNB intended to pump air in the space for the sole purpose of getting some crumbs from the International Community to support his government.”
“Same tactics applied by Weah with Elton deal, meant to attract Bretton Wood. A Kla Martin, a protégé of Cephus, former NPFL rebel, refused visas multiple times by USA, and listed in the IAA’s Report for corruption at LACC, cannot be the messiah to recover stolen wealth scattered not only in Liberia but in America, Europe, Asia, and other parts of Africa.
A Cuffy, in GAC’s RIA report, accused of multiple corruptions at the FIU, no messiah either. A Jackson with his hand stained in Bong County Development Funds, cannot be a messiah in this fight. They don’t have the integrity, education, exposure, and competence to lead this fight, Morlu intoned.
The country’s former Auditor General further narrated, “You cannot set up a serious team for the mere purpose of meeting job satisfaction, lacking competence, experience, education, and exposure.”
He maintained, “JNB is walking Weah’s walk, which will yield the same results. What happened to the little funds recovered by Cephus and Arthur Johnson? Yes, Doe created the Bureau of Reacquisition, purposing it to identify the properties of former government officials that were executed after the 1980 coup.”
“This Bureau, along with Doe and his cronies, misappropriated money they collected; seized and divided propertied they were purported to recover. Could VAMOMA House and Nancy Doe’s House be among properties recovered?” he wondered.
Morlu, at the same time, disclosed that the Assets Recovery is that gold mine that will lift Liberia into 200 years of existence, a potential to give Liberia the Coastal Highway, and several other road projects, end nightmare with electricity and pipe borne water, among others.
“So, Assets Recovery should not be merely restricted to Weah’s six years. It should go far back to the very existence of this country. Like Doe’s group, Cephus/Arthur failed to show what financial benefit the government got from the assets. On a common issue that has impoverished Liberia for years, JNB chose to walk the same walk of Weah, Sirleaf, Taylor, and Doe,” he added.
