Monrovia — Presidential aspirant Counselor Tiawan Gongloe has called on authorities of the National Elections Commission (NEC) to reject applications from any of the three former officials of the Government of Liberia (GOL) who recently resigned as a result of the sanctions imposed on them by the United States if they intend to contest the pending 2023 general and presidential elections in the country.
Cllr. Gongloe is the Political Leader of the Liberian People's Party (LPP) and the former President of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA).
The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned the former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel McGill, Solicitor General Cyrennius Cephus and the Director of the National Port Authority (NPA) Bill Tweahway for acts of corruption. The sanctions fall under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
The trio are stalwarts of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
They were previously suspended from their respective positions by President George Weah, tendered in their resignations.
But speaking in an interview with FrontPageAfrica via telephone on Monday, September 12, Cllr. Gongloe emphasized that the involvement of the three former officials in acts of corruption has negatively affected the nation and its people.
Both McGill and Tweahway have been petitioned to contest the senatorial seats in Rivercess and Bong counties respectively. However, Cephus has not yet declared his intention to contest.
Counselor Gongloe observed that the NEC is heavily supported by the US government during the electioneering period, and as such, authorities of the commission should avoid being sanctioned by rejecting any application to contest the elections from the sanctioned former officials.
Counselor Gongloe pointed out that the Magnisky Act calls on people to distance themselves from McGill, Tweahway and Cephus, noting that, Liberians should not also be supporting them to excel to any elected position.
"Liberians should know better that the Americans are helping us and these are the people that have been stealing our monies and that has caused our country not to develop and more poverty in recent times. Now the US has clamped their wings, I don't think that people should vote for them because those who are sanctioned are prohibited from benefiting from America in any way and using the US dollars."
"To the extent that the US will be supporting the NEC as one of the countries within the International Community, I strongly believe that NEC should not even approve applications from these people because, by accepting their applications, the NEC may risk not being supported by the US government."
Counselor Gongloe maintained that the failure of the NEC to reject the applications of the men would be a clear violation of the Magnisky Act, which prohibits sanctioned individuals from benefiting from US resources.
"I strongly believe that they should not even be permitted to run because, it will affect Liberia. If the Government of Liberia has the ability to support the electoral process 100%, they can do so. But to the extent that it depends on the American government money, the US will decide how its money should be used."
Peace will be undermined
He said Liberia's peace and stability will also be undermined if the NEC fails to conduct the pending 2023 elections properly, noting that, "in the interest of national security, rights can be denied and that's why state of emergency are imposed."
"If people conduct themselves in such a way the US targets and imposes sanctions on them, the whole country should not suffer because of the three of them."
Counselor Gongloe called on the commission to take a decision on the matter and compel the accused men to take the matter to the Supreme Court if they feel that their rights have been violated. The Supreme Court is the final arbiter of justice in Liberia.
"The court will see that the sovereignty of Liberia and its citizens is bigger than the three people. And that will be the judgment."
Weah doubted sanctions report
Speaking further, Counselor Gongloe blasted at President Weah for doubting the sanctions report released on his closed allies by the US government.
He said though the report was substantive, President Weah did not have confidence in it as evidenced by his decision taken to suspend the three men, instead of immediately dismissing and taking other actions to guarantee their prosecution prior to their resignations.
He maintained that the President also risks being sanctioned by the US as a result of his action.
Counselor Gongloe observed that the suspension action taken by the Liberian leader was not effective due to his failure to also request the Ministry of Justice, through the court, to search the homes of the accused for relevant documents that could prosecute them in keeping with the US Treasury Department report.
"The President's action was not a good national response. With the serious action taken by the US to prevent further theft in government-I think if the President loves this country as he took oath on inauguration day to seek the best interest of Liberia, he should have dismiss them immediately because it was shocking to ordinary people that they could have conducted themselves in that way."
Counselor Gongloe noted that the sanctioned men would destroyed evidences by "hiding all these things" due to the failure of President Weah to act effectively following the release of the report.
"If I were in his position, I would have even ask the Ministry of Justice to pray for search warrant to search the homes of those people. Perhaps, there was going to be documents taken from their homes that could be so criminal and they could be indicted and prosecuted; or maybe there are private banks to search for money laundering or theft of resources. The government should have taken serious action against these people. By suspending them (before their resignation) means the government is doubting the decision taken by the US government."
Sour relationship
He emphasized that the doubting of the US Treasury Department by President Weah and his government would sour the relationship subsisting between the two countries.
Counselor Gongloe recalled that the US has trained investigative experts from the FBI, CIA and other agencies, but for the President to only suspend the accused, before their voluntary exit from government, signifies that "information received was not sufficient in order to get them from government."
He wondered why those who were sanctioned are all political appointees who served at the will and pleasure of the Liberian Chief Executive, but were still being suspended despite the hard facts presented by the US.
"A good President will say anybody who conducts himself in a way that will cause US, our most reliable international partner to declare sanctions against us, him/her shall not enjoy my pleasure anymore and you are out of the government. But because he (Weah) did not do so, he risks sanctions on himself and his entire government. His action was very disrespectful to the US and the consequences of that could be grave for him."
"If American government gives aid to this country and directly or indirectly it sanctions people and they are allowed to have access or benefit from it, that could be a violation and President Weah and members of the National Elections Commission (NEC) could be sanctioned themselves because, they will be a deliberate actors to undermine the effectiveness of the Magnisky Act which is intended to change behavior."
He stressed that McGill, Tweahway and Cephus should not be allowed to enjoy all of their rights, but they should be made to feel the pinch of the sanctions.
Counselor Gongloe maintained that by allowing the accused to resign their posts prior to being dismissed for the acts committed, now implies that the Liberian leader has failed to take the appropriate actions.
"President Weah must take the credit for respecting the actions taken by the US. It is good for our foreign relations with the US and controlling bad behavior in our government by improving governance and it is good for our security and welfare."
Best foreign aid to Liberia
Counselor Gongloe, however, described the sanctions imposed on the trio as "the best foreign aid" of the US to the government and people of Liberia.
"I consider the sanctions to be the best foreign aid the US has given Liberia in recent times. The US has helped Liberia over the years with a lot. But all of those things cannot be compared to the sanctions because, the sanctions is against bad governance, especially greed that is causing officials of government to steal monies meant for the welfare and protection of citizens of this country."
He observed that the sanctions will bring about good governance, develop the country faster, reduce Liberia's dependency on other countries, and help strengthen citizens' including government officials' ability to protect themselves.
"The sanctions is going to help government save money to improve our health, educational systems and address food insecurity, road system and every aspect of development. It's going to guide people in government and those who intend to come in government to be careful."
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No justification
Following the imposition of the sanctions, the accused former officials shifted blame and denied their involvement into the acts.
But Counselor Gongloe pointed out that the justifications provided are poor to overturn the sanctions imposed against them.
He said as evidenced by the three men involvement into acts of corruption, some supporters of their own party, CDC were calling for their dismissal prior to the sanctions.
"I don't see their statements to be reasons for lifting their sanctions because, every Liberian knows that those sanctioned are corrupt. What the US government did is consented with the general feelings of the Liberian people-except that the Liberian people are powerless and the government has shown no willingness to combat corruption."
Incentivize to embrace sanctions
On August 16, scores of youths took to the streets in the densely populated township of West Point, chanting pro-slogans for Weah and his government where the President and other government officials had gone in continuation of his tour across Montserrado.
They were heard chanting: "Sanction, no sanction, we'll vote for George Weah; Protest no, protest we will vote for George Weah, Who you want... ahaaaa da Weah we want,", among others barely a day after the sanctions were imposed.
But Counselor Gongloe observed that the youths seen in a jubilant mood at the time were "incentivized" to embrace the sanctions.
"When I heard them singing that song-my information gathered was they were incentivized to sing that song. Having been made poorer by this government than any other government in the past, they are now so weak that officials of the government are coming as humanitarians to give them little gifts to do things. The song was not sang freely, but it was based on motivation by giving them money to buy cold bowl to sing that song for that day."
Counselor Gongloe added that despite their action, these youths are "getting poorer than before" and are also cognizant of the tough times they are encountering.
He further described government's fight against corruption as "weak" due to numerous public comments made by the Liberian leader showing unwillingness and lukewarm posture towards the combat.
He, however, called on Liberians to bear in mind that government is a place to serve and not to steal or amass ill-gotten wealth to the detriment of the state and the citizenry.
