Monrovia — Former President Charles Taylor heads the list of several armed faction leaders the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has recommended for war crimes, prosecution, while Prsident Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is prime amongst those listed for a ban in holding public office.

Mr. Taylor is followed by Prince Y. Johnson, described as one of the "most notorious" violators and accused of "killings, extortion, massacre, destruction of property, forced recruitment, assault, torture, forced labour and rape."

Next is his second in command, former President Moses Blah, also accused of "torture, assault, and looting and abduction."

Others are Alhaji Kromah, George Boley, Saah R. Gbollie, George Dweh, Aldophus Dolo, accused of murder, Benjamin Yeaten, Sando Johnson, Sundaygar Dearboy.

Those the TRC recommends to be barred from holding public office include President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former Planning Minister Gayewea McIntosh, Isaac Nyenabo, Paul Mulbah, Jackson E. Doe, Grace Minor, Kabineh J'neh, etc. See full list.

Those individuals and institutions listed for alleged economic crimes include Liberian International Shipping and Corporate Registry, Lonestar, West Oil, along with Mr. Charles Taylor, former Maritime Commissioner Benoni Urey, Lewis Brown, Edwin Snowe, Cocoo Dennis, Cora Peabody, Emmanuel Shaw, etc.

At a press conference, the TRC said the President should make known progress on the implementation of the recommendations every 3 months. But the process has already encountered protests from some of those accused in the Legislature, the body that is expected to act on the recommendations.

One TRC source told this paper that the likelihood of the Legislature acting on the recommendations is slim.

If implemented, there will be a heavy political price for many of the country's best-known political actors and politicians.

See TRC's official statement below:

Final Statement from the Commission

Nearly three and half years ago, we embarked upon a journey on behalf of the people of Liberia with a simple mission to explain how Liberia became what it is today and to advance recommendations to avert a repetition of the past and lay the foundation for sustainable national peace, unity, security and reconciliation. Considering the complexity of the Liberian conflict, the intractable nature of our socio-cultural interactions, the fluid political and fragile security environment, we had no illusion of the task at hand and, embraced the challenge as a national call to duty; a duty we committed ourselves to accomplishing without fear or favor.

Today, we have done just that! With gratitude to the Almighty God, the Merciful Allah and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we are both proud and honored to present our report to the people of Liberia, the Government of Liberia, the President of Liberia and the International Community who are "moral guarantors" of the Liberian peace process.

This report is made against the background of rising expectations, fears and anxiety. 111e vast majority of us who are victims or survivals of the massive wave of atrocities induced by ,the conflict, expect that all the recommendations contained in this report will be implemented and reparations in the forms of compensation, policy and institutional reforms, specialized services, restitution or financial relief, will address all our social, economic, cultural, civic and political rights issues, ensure accountability, undermine impunity and foster national healing and reconciliation.

The few of us who commanded the forces of -arms, financed, resourced and provided political and ideological guidance to several warring factions, we fear alienation, prosecutions and other forms of public sanctions which may undermine our current socio-economic and political stature acquired during the conflict period.

Though this latter group of us equally desire national healing and reconciliation, it should be accomplished without any cost to our current standing and prestige. Bygones must be bygones. Having no regard for the rule of law, we ignored the TRC Process and when we opted to cooperate and appear before the Commission, we deliberately lied and failed to speak truthfully about the scale of our participation and deeds as a show of remorse and contrition which acknowledges the pains and sufferings of victims and triggers the national healing and reconciliation we profess to desire.

A true transitional justice process, as the TRC of Liberia, is never a perfect human endeavor; and will not satisfy all segments of our society.

It is equally true that the TRC may never meet all the expectations or allay all the fears of contending interests it naturally arouses. Expectations,fears and anxieties, justifiably so, are products of the TRC process and not its outcome. The process is what justifies or legitimizes the product or the outcomes.

The outcome in this report is the product of deliberate planning and engagement with all segments of our society centering on all 15 counties of Liberia and the Diaspora. Capturing over 22,000 written statements, several dozens of personal interviews and over 500 hundred live public testimonies of witnesses including actors, perpetrators, and direct victims; a national regional consultation with county stakeholders and a national conference on reconciliation and the way forward provided the Commission a national perspective of the conflict, its causes, trends, impacts and the vision and aspirations of the people of Liberia for a better future. The Commission incorporated desk research, media publications and human rights reports of very prominent international and local human rights institutions into its work. So guided and informed, the Commission is well poised to make this report and draw the conclusions and make the recommendations contained in this report which in four volumes documents the comprehensive work of the Commission.

We extend appreciation to. all, locally and internationally, who supported and worked with the Commission to ensure it succeeds at its mandate. We mention the Government of Her Excellency, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the National Legislature including the I-louse Standing committee on Peace and Reconciliation, 11,e International Contact Group on Liberia (ICGL), Minnesota Advocates for human Rights and the hundreds of volunteers across the USA, the media and dozens of civil society institutions, who were very interested and supportive of the process and lastly but not the least, the people of Liberia everywhere, not only for their support but most importantly for their abiding faith and confidence in the process and our ability to successfully navigate and pilot suavely through the many turbulence we encountered along the way.

We call on all to view this report and use it as a tool, blueprint and foundation for carving a better, brighter and more secured future for posterity. The purpose of our work was not necessarily to please anyone but to objectively and independently execute the mandates of the TRC realistically and objectively in patriotic service to the nation in unraveling the truth of our national nightmare. This report is our road map to liberation and lasting peace which means that reconciliation in Liberia is never again an elusive goal. It is both a possibility and a reality we must achieve by opening our hearts and accepting the realities and consequences of our national existence and move forward. This report is a contribution to that process and it is our prayers that all Liberians will see it that way and work for the full implementation of the recommendations without fear or favor or respect for any man. When we do this, the love of liberty "which brought us here" will "bring us together" under Cod's Command so that this sweet and glorious land of liberty will forever be ours.