By Grace Q. Bryant
The Chairperson of the Assets Recovery and Properties Retrieval Taskforce, Edwin Kla Martin, has given a 10-day ultimatum to past officials to surrender all State properties to avoid unspecified legal action and consequences.
He disclosed that the ten-day period runs from March 22 to March 31, 2024, for private individuals and former government officials of that are still in possession of government’s properties, stressing “because our team is currently investigating garages involved in the illegal sale of government vehicles.”
It can be recalled that on March 6, 2024, President Joseph Boakai issued Executive Order #126, effective immediately, for the retrieval and recovery of national assets, in an effort to restore credibility, accountability, and transparency in the governance process of Liberia.
The President, in his Executive Order establishing the Assets Recovery Task Force and an office under the Minister of State for Special Services, mandated task force to put into place the necessary legal framework for the recovery of assets wrongfully acquired by current and former government officials.
He stated that the order is issued with the intent to retrieve, recover, restore, and reinstate fixed and liquid assets from within and outside Liberia that have been converted to private use by unscrupulous government officials and employees who were placed in positions of trust.
Boakai furthered that his decision is aimed to address the alarming trend of officials converting public assets to private use while in positions of power over the past years, urging the team to employ diplomatic and Interpol means to extradite individuals identified as suspects who are outside Liberia’s jurisdiction, and bring them under the investigative team’s jurisdiction.
Speaking during the Ministry of Information’s regular Thursday briefing, Martin also stated that the President’s declaration of war on corruption and efforts to recover stolen assets diverted to private use by officials is a symbol of the Task Force’s preparedness to take action.
According to him, the Executive Order, as issued by the Liberian leader, is intended to establish good governance and accountability, which, he stressed, is the foundation on which civilizations are built, and as such, the Assets Recovery Team, under his watch, will not relent on said responsibility.
He maintained that nations that lack accountability and are very corrupt, destroy their own existence and the well-being of their citizenry, but emphasized that Boakai’s recent action to issue Executive Order #126 is a key step towards redemption for Liberia from corruption and poor governance.
“This patriotic action by President Boakai also demonstrates his government’s commitment to democracy, good governance, accountability, and the rule of law, which are crucial for international recognition.
So, we as his lieutenants, being charged with the responsibility to ensure that all government stolen assets are retrieved, will not let the President and Liberian people down, because we view this as a national responsibility and will strive to meet the expectations of the citizenry,” he intoned.
Cllr. Martin also emphasized, “I want to clarify that this is not a witch hunt targeting any particular group, instead, our property recovery and retrieval processes will be based on solid evidence, and no one will be falsely accused based on their political affiliation.”
“We will work in line with our duties and responsibilities, and we will, in the coming days, release the list of persons of interest related to our financial crimes and corruption investigation, and they are our primary suspects, and we’re also working to track their liquid assets both domestically and internationally.
We are not afraid of any threats, as we are a strong and resilient organization that operates within the bounds of the law. We are committed to transparency and operating within a clear and open system, and any attempts to undermine this process will not succeed,” Martin noted.
Martin however clarified that his selection to chair the Assets and Properties retrieval task force is based on commitment and willingness to protect the integrity institution, the (Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission-LACC), and maintain his independence in investigations that were conducted and reported to court.
Earlier, Information Minister, Jerolinmek M. Piah, alarmed that certain members of the society have begun to commit crimes and claim that they are being targeted, even though no one has named them as suspects or is pursuing them.
This, he emphasized, “So, if anyone thinks that these actions will impede the work of the Tax Force, they should rethink again because this government of President Boakai’s commitment to accountability remains steadfast and said responsibilities will be executed by the Tax Force holistically.”
Piah added, “Because there are multiple mechanisms already in place to ensure accountability, and this is not up for debate. Those who are innocent and have nothing to hide should not be afraid of the Tax Force, and must account for their service/stewardship of the country over the years.”
