The Inquirer (Monrovia)
D. Webster Cassell
20 August 2008
Report reaching this paper says that the Liberian Embassy in Rome is currently engaged in an illegal sale of Liberian passports and birth certificates amongst others.
A Liberian based in Rome told The INQUIRER that the embassy is auctioning the Liberian passports for 1,900.00 to 2,100.00 euro, while Liberian birth certificates are illegally been given to foreigners at the cost of 800.00 Euros.
The report also alleged that every letter issued by the Embassy is on sale for 400.00 to 500.00 euros. The reports however claim that the alleged corrupt and illegal sales and the many clandestine acts are being done with the knowledge, authorization, consent, and approval of the Ambassador.
The report confirmed that there have been several adverse effects as a result of the various illegal and clandestine activities done at the Embassy in Rome.
The report noted that as a result of the constant malpractices, other non Liberians are now illegally possessing Liberian passport and subsequently and easily claiming Liberian citizenship. With the latest information, the report claims that the illegal sales greatly contribute to the devaluing of Liberian documents in Italy and other parts of the global world.
"The Ambassador issues no receipt for any of its financial interactions except the 150.00 euro receipt, upon which is written, 'passport amendments' or 'consular letter'.
And theses expressions does not explain the reason for which we pay the money," the report discloses. The report also noted that the alleged attitude of the embassy has resulted to a huge number of non Liberian carrying Liberian documents.
The report accused one 'Fatu, the telephone girl' and 'Edward, the driver' of being the two individuals who initiate the ambassador's alleged criminal activities.
According to the report, 'Fatu the telephone girl' would ask those foreigners requesting for passports to tell the ambassador that they pay the cost of 1,200.00 euro for the passport, instead of the 2,100.00 euro which they ought to pay.
The report said that the passports illegally given to foreigners' lot of mistakes such as wrong date of birth and incorrectly spelt names which are later corrected by the lady Ambassador upon the payment of extra 400.00 euros. "At times these passports come with two different heights like 5.1/ 5.7, these mistakes make us asked as to whether the Liberian Government passport division in Liberia is actually aware of the passport sales," the report said.
The reports however claimed that another means some Liberians obtained passport is directly through the Embassy's driver "Edward" at the cost of 1,900.00 euros and accordingly, these passports do not carried mistakes, but the driver adds another 200.00 to 300.00 euros to the initial payment.
The driver tells us when the passport office called from Liberia he (the driver) had to use his Liberian English language phonetics to deceive the Liberian passport division who called the Liberia Embassy in Rome in order to speak with the passport applicant in Rome," the report added. A copy of the alleged illegal passports issued in Rome is in possession of this paper.
When our reporter contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry denied knowledge of any alleged illegal sale of Liberian passport, but confirmed that Liberian passports are only sold here in Liberia for the cost of US$ 20.00. Assistant Minister for Public Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, J. Moses Gray also confirmed that the Liberian Embassy in Rome, Italy is effective but clarified that currently it has only 'charge d'Affaire' not an ambassador.
Reliable sources alleged that some individuals at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been involved with the trade of Liberian passports illegally out of the country with Rome, Italy being no exception.
It was also reliably learnt from the Ministry that the Government of Liberia is fully aware of who is carrying out the illegal sale of Liberian passport and birth certificates in Rome, but have failed to take any step in an effort to curtail the corrupt activity.
According to information the illegal sale of Liberian passports in many parts of our global village has been ongoing for a very long time and up to present, it has not formally claimed the government's attention.
But nationally, as Liberians strive to brighten their national image in the international community by improving their international image after fourteen years of civil conflict in their country, such alleged illegal sale to unknown individuals is highly worrisome.
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i deem it very much necessary to tell all this people that are write commemts here to keep their mouth close ,if Lieberians have any way to pay back what African countries did for you people when you people are in need, because no white man or woman like me will need Lieberian passport, the matter of fact is that people just write usless things here without thinking, i will like to ask this question,the people Liberia suposed to be even happy that some body even agree to have that passport with Liaberia on it, is a shame i dont even want that name rather than having that passport of so called hungry Liberian,
One cannot look further to see that there will always be cronies that will do anything to line their pockets, regardless of what shame it brings to this country, whose image has been so bruised internationally. For anyone who considers himself or herself a citizen of a country to argue that it's okay for noncitizens to illegally obtain passports is not only shameful, but criminal. I hope that the government of Liberia not look the other way, but bring these bandits and their culprits to justice.
With this information, sales of Liberian passport in Rome, Italy, I called on the Ellen Sirlear's government to move with the most higher speed to replace all involved at the embassy without delay. Those of us who live in the diaspora, mainly in the USA are seeing this recklesss behaviour by past Liberian diplomats. It is so bad and embrassing that individuals who bear liberian passports commits crimes that are blamed on the Liberians. Where there's smoke, there is fire; there is some truth to this story. The government must act now to save face.