The standard bearer of the opposition Unity Party (UP), Joseph Boakai, has called on President George Weah to dismiss with immediate effect the sanctioned and disgraced government officials and turn them over for prosecution.
"Although the sanctions imposed by the United States Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) are highly targeted and selective, however, given this latest development and the culture of corruption pervasive in this government, I am demanding swift actions from President Weah to at the minimum terminate his Minister of State, the Solicitor General, and the Managing Director of the National Port Authority," Boakai said in a release.
The former Vice President added that said the sanctioned officials' continued presence in government at that high level, despite years of public outcry over corruption, will only plunge the country and the people into further worsening economic woes.
Boakai said the UP strongly refutes the mere suspension announced by President Weah because it is weak, and will become another of the same diabolical tactics of never-ending investigations we have seen by this criminal and infested government over the past five years," Boakai said.
Boakai made the remarks on, August 19, at a news conference held at the party's headquarters in Monrovia. He said the style of sweeping things under the carpet by this government "is the reason we are asking for stronger actions to be taken by President Weah.
On August 15, the U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), through the Ambassador to Liberia announced sanctions on three officials of the Congress of Democratic Change (CDC)-led government headed by Weah based on the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, for public Corruption, Money Laundry, and other criminal acts.
The officials named were the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff, Nathaniel F. McGill, Solicitor General of Liberia, Syrenius Cephus, and the Managing Director of the National Port Authority, Bill Twehway.
"UP demands Weah also mounts an all-out investigation of his entire government to deliver a comprehensive report to the Liberian people and the international community to address and cleanse the government of corruption ahead of honoring any invitation from President Joe Biden to attend the forthcoming summit on Democracy in the USA," Boakai said.
"To say the least, as if we had seen the worst that Mr. Weah and his criminal cartel is doing to the nation, the August 15, 2022 sanctions announcement by the U.S. Government, through its Ambassador, is yet another national and international dishonorable action, vilification and disgrace brought upon the nation by the workings of a rogue regime that is insensitive to the plight of the Liberian people," Boakai said.
Boakai said Liberians were unequivocal in their support and commendation of the action taken by the U.S. Government, and the lukewarm response of suspension taken by President George Weah towards the three criminal government officials prompted the need for the Unity Party press conference.
He said there is a long list of unsolved criminal acts under investigation over the past five years, with no credible results, which includes the missing 16 billion Liberian dollars, 20 million U.S. dollars suspicious mop-up exercise, mysterious death of auditors, secret killings, 16 million U.S. dollars COVID-19 food distribution and misapplication of US$24 million from the National Road Fund.
He said the latest round of sanctions imposed on Liberian government officials by the U.S. Treasury Department is very troubling and is no surprise to the Liberian people who have for over five years been suffering and have become poorer because of endemic corruption and the predatory nature of the George Weah administration.
"Since Weah took office, he and his officials of government have made a campaign of using their power to loot public coffers for their benefits at the expense of the people of this country," he stressed.
Boakai said these sanctions are the latest in an unending list of evidence pointing to how a group of individuals in the government hold the country in a stranglehold and created for Liberia a reputation that undermines its standing in the international community and the potential to leverage opportunity at home and abroad for the good of the people of Liberia.
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He said the threat and the potential consequences of these sanctions go beyond the corridors of power in Washington D.C. and it reverberates in the capitals of countries in the sub-region and the world, and undercuts the investment climate.
He said corruption is a poison that destroys everything it touches, including a nation.
"I am also on record to say that Liberia is not a poor country, but the perennial problem facing this country is mainly triggered by the lack of a sound and honest leadership. This is why I ran for the presidency of our beloved country in 2017, and I will contest again in 2023, on a record of integrity and honesty because my concern remains the ensuring a better image of Liberia that would stop the deterioration of bad governance and propel the country on a path of change and sustainable development for the good and betterment of the Liberian people," Boakai said.
