–US Ambassador Unhappy with GOL over Failure to Prosecute Past and Current Officials Sanctioned for ‘Corruption’
IPNEWS: The United States of America is noted as Liberia’s biggest ally also known for being the biggest donor country the tiny West African nation relies upon.
Prior to the military coup in 1980, Liberia received more U.S. foreign assistance on a per capita basis than any other African country. Today, Liberia remains among the top 10 recipient countries in per capita terms.
And so when the United States Government through its Department of Treasury decided to sanction some current and former Government of Liberia officials for alleged corruption, it was clear that some of the monies these government officials steal come from America tax payers through their government to help the Liberian government.
The sanctions, according to the US Department of the Treasury, came after a rigorous inter-agency investigation, which determined that former Minister of State Nathaniel McGill, Solicitor General Syrenius Cephus, and National Port Authority managing director Twehway engaged in corrupt acts.
Following the actions by the US, “All property and interests in property of the three individuals that are in the US or in the possession or control of US persons must be blocked and reported to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).”
In addition, persons who engage in certain transactions with the designated individuals risk also being exposed to sanctions or subject to enforcement action, the Treasury said.
The sanctions come under the Global Magnitsky Act, which authorizes the US government to sanction those it sees as human rights offenders, freeze their assets, and ban them from entering the US. The Treasury, in a statement, then said that McGill, during his time in government, “manipulated public procurement processes to award multi-million dollar contracts to companies in which he has ownership while making off-the-books payments in cash to senior government leaders, and organized warlords to threaten political rivals.
Cephus, according to the Treasury’s statement, received bribes from people in exchange for having their court cases dropped and has also shielded money launderers and helped clear them through the court system.
Meanwhile, Twehway orchestrated the diversion of $1.5m in vessel storage fee funds from the NPA into a private account and formed a private company to which he later unilaterally awarded a contract for loading and unloading cargo at the Port of Buchanan, the Treasury Department said.
Twehway and others used family members to obfuscate their own involvement in the company, while still benefiting financially from the company, it added. The trio, however, denied the sanction allegations but was later forced to resign their respective government positions as their political authorities in the government became a hindrance to President Weah’s relationship with Washington.
They resigned after serving a protracted period under suspension, ordered by the president. However, McGill and Cephus — two officials of the Weah government then deemed ‘untouchable,’ launched a campaign to discredit the US sanctions, demanding proof that they were involved in public corruption.
They accused the US of violating their rights to due process, saying the sanctions claimed against them were untrue and “innocent until proven guilty.” Interestingly, the President bought into their argument, as did some other government officials who continued to argue that those sanctioned be given the opportunity to be heard — indirectly questioning the US sanctions information and its claims.
As for the sanctions against Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson — he was accused by the US government of engaging in large-scale corruption — a pay-for-play scheme with government ministries and organizations for personal enrichment.
The sanction, which was announced in 2021, according to the US Treasury, was part of a scheme in which the Senator, upon receiving funding from the “Government of Liberia, the involved government ministries and organizations, laundered a portion of the funding for the return to the involved participants.”
Johnson, now a trusted political ally of Weah, was responsible for the slaying in 1990 of President Samuel Doe, who had been captured by his forces during the country’s 14-year civil war. Johnson sipped beer as he watched his men torture and mutilate Doe who begged in vain for mercy in a widely circulated video.
His colleague, Grand Cape Mount County Senator Sherman, was sanctioned in 2019 for allegedly paying judges to decide cases in his favor, as well as facilitating payments to Liberian politicians to support the impeachment of a judge who has ruled against him. Sherman’s acts of bribery demonstrate a larger pattern of behavior to exercise influence over the judiciary and the Ministry of Justice, the US Treasury said.
It added that Sherman is “designated for being a foreign person who is a current or former government official responsible for or complicit in, or directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Both men however denied the US government’s claims and requested proof, saying the ‘US sanction allegations were untrue. The US sanction however forced Johnson to resign his influential position as Chair of the Senate Committee on Defense and Security, while Sherman holds on to his position as Chair of the Senate Committee on Judiciary.
U.S. Envoy Sounds Serious Warning
Addressing journalists recently during Ambassador Michael A. McCarthy’s opening Remarks at Press Roundtable with Acting Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs Elizabeth Trudeau during her visit to Monrovia, noted that those engaged in certain transactions with these sanctioned individuals “May themselves be exposed to sanctions or subject to an enforcement action”.
The U.S. Ambassador who was very serious, also said unless an exception applies, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction for any of the individuals or entities could be subject to U.S. sanctions.
Stressing further, Ambassador said “I think it’s important to draw our attention back to the Treasury Department’s statement, specifically its notification that persons that engage in certain transactions with these sanctioned individuals may themselves be exposed to sanctions or subject to enforcement action.
This applies not only to those who transact with these three individuals but also with the other two individuals sanctioned.”
Destiny of Sanctioned Officials Up to Liberia
Addressing the media recently, US Ambassador Michael McCarthy voiced deep dissatisfaction with the Government of Liberia for failing to investigate and prosecute past and current officials sanctioned for “corruption.”
McCarthy’s criticism comes as three of President George Weah’s former officials, who were sanctioned by the US for alleged “public corruption”, are yet to be investigated as promised by the President in August.
“It’s true that the sanctioned officials never had their day in court but it’s very important for them to be held accountable,” McCarthy said at a press conference in the presence of the visiting US Acting Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, Elizabeth Trudeau on November 14. “I am disappointed that nothing is going to happen? That’s really up to the Liberian people to decide. We feel very confident that if anyone did a real investigation, they will find the evidence.”
“Look at what the Treasury Department said about them. There were specifics about some of the allegations. So we don’t want them in America spending stolen money, and if it’s there, we’re going to freeze it. But it is up to processes in Liberia.”
The US has sanctioned Bill Twehway, the former Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA), and two other high-profile senators — Prince Y. Johnson and Varney Sherman (of Nimba and Grand Cape Mount Counties, respectively) under the Global Magnitsky Act — which authorizes the US to sanction those it sees as human rights offenders, freeze their assets, and ban them from entering the US.
Sayma Syrenius Cephus, the country’s former solicitor general, and lead prosecutor, as well as Nathaniel McGill, the former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff to the President then, — completed the list of those sanctioned by the US in Liberia for corruption — bringing the total to five.
According to reports, McGill and Twehway are interested in running for political office in Margibi and Rivercess counties, respectively. McGill is accused of “manipulating public procurement processes to award multi-million dollar contracts to companies in which he has ownership,” and Twehway is accused of orchestrating the theft of $1.5 million in vessel storage fee funds from the National Port Authority into a private account.
The likes of Senators Johnson and Sherman — close allies of the President — are eying reelections in 2023 and might win their counties. This situation has then forced the ambassador to warn that the United States government may sanction anyone caught violating the sanctions against three of President George Weah’s former officials who were accused of public corruption.
Johnson was accused by the US government of engaging in large-scale corruption — a pay-for-play scheme with government ministries and organizations for personal enrichment; while his colleague Sherman, was sanctioned in 2019 for allegedly paying judges to decide cases in his favor, as well as facilitating payments to Liberian politicians to support the impeachment of a judge who has ruled against him.
The accused has however denied the US government allegation — with some engaging demanding proof from the US government regarding the allegation, while also accusing them of violating their rights to due process, saying the sanctions claimed against them were untrue and “innocent until proven guilty.”
But McCarthy maintained that the US government believes that these ex and current-sanctioned officials have reached a level of corruption and disruption to the democratic process even though the voters have the right to elect the leaders of their choice.
McCarthy, on the other hand, emphasized that while it is the right of the Liberian electorate to decide whether to elect these sanction officials, the US however had to act because the level of corruption by the accused had disrupted Liberia’s democratic process.
The US Ambassador added that the US has to take the decision to stop people from abusing Liberia’s democracy, saying the US has strong evidence showing that the sanctioned officials committed the acts that they were accused of, but it is up to the government and people of Liberia to follow processes to prosecute them.
“The US government believes that these ex- and current sanctioned officials have reached a level of corruption and disruption to the democratic process, despite the fact that voters have the right to choose their leaders.”
The issue of corruption has been a major flashpoint in the US-Liberia bilateral relationship, with McCarthy and other high-profile US government officials calling for action.
The likes of Dana Banks, a Special Assistant to Biden and Senior Director for Africa at the National Security Council Dana Banks and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United Nations and former Ambassador to Liberia have all joined the call for an end to pervasive corruption in the country.
“Too many of Liberia’s leaders have chosen their own personal short-term gain over the long-term benefit of their country. The expectation, sometimes, is that the United States and the rest of the international community will step in to solve Liberia’s long-term problems,” Banks said in a remark at the bicentennial celebration in Monrovia on February 14.
“So let me be clear, the United States is a proud and dedicated partner and friend of Liberia. But ultimately, only the Liberian Government and the Liberian people can tackle corruption, fight for accountability and transparency, and move this country forward.”
However, McCarthy at the time of announcing the sanction in August, said despite the plea from two of Biden’s high-profile officials, corruption has worsened to the point that it is now the dominant issue in a bilateral relationship that would otherwise show far more promise.
The US, he said, was then forced to act to sanction McGill, Twehway, and Cephus and the others as they were at the forefront in consistently advancing corruption within this government, “to the detriment of Liberia and all Liberians.”
The US diplomat, who has been vocal on the issue of corruption, has in time passed also warned of the impact of the menace on Liberia’s future.
Just last year, he warned that the US government was getting tired of corruption and instead wants to see results, and improvements in education, health, and better quality of life for citizens.
McCarthy went on to note that his government was very discouraged to see that Liberia was not making any serious progress relating to the fight against corruption.
He noted that corruption has seriously impeded the country’s social-economic growth.
McCarthy’s latest position was shared by the visiting US Acting Assistant Secretary of Global Public Affairs, Elizabeth Trudeau, who noted that the future of Liberia remains in the hands of the citizens.
“Liberia’s future is up to Liberians, especially as they gear up for another crucial election in 2023,” Trudeau said. “Because in the effort of pursuing the government’s accountability and combating disinformation, it is upon all Liberians, including you journalists, to tell the truth, and present the facts as a means of maintaining this peace in Liberia.
“I think as we take a look and move forward on what society, Liberia, is, I think the people of this country can look up to a positive future; they can look at unity and overcome an obstacle, and the United States is proud to be part of this great endeavor,” Trudeau added.
Living Dangerously
In 1997, a famous United States Embassy official, David Park, was noted for a famous saying that “There Are More Good People Than Bad People In Liberia.” Mr. Park’s statement became a slogan for almost every Liberian, but some Liberians did not understand what Mr. Park meant by that statement.
Prior to the 1997 Special Elections that brought former Charles Taylor to power, after he led a rebellion that dethroned the Samuel Doe government in 1990, youthful Liberians were fond of singing and chanting slogan like “You Kill My Pa, You Kill My Ma, I Will Vote for You”, which sent a message that no matter what people said about Taylor’s war that saw more than 250,000 people killed, they still voted him as President.
And so Mr. Park would constantly remind Liberians to vote wisely and save their country from further bloodbath as was seen during the rebel war.
Despite the former US Embassy official’s warning in 1997, Liberians overwhelmingly voted Charles Taylor to state power. When Taylor became president his perceived enemies fled the country into exile. In less than two years, Taylor’s enemies regrouped and brought another round of rebel war which lasted till 2003. Maybe had Liberians listened to David Park and voted wisely, those perceived Taylor’s enemies may not have gone into exile and later regrouped to return to Liberia with a rebel incursion.
It had to take the millions of America to fund peace keeping operations before civility was returned to Liberia.
Fast forward to 2022 after the government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that lasted 12 consecutive years, and almost five years into the George Weah’s administration, the US Government through its Department of Treasury sanctioned two current officials and three former officials for corruption.
The US government has warned that any institution or whoever does business with these officials placed on the US-targeted sanction risked being sanctioned themselves.
With the likes of Senators Prince Y. Johnson and Varney Sherman, as well as former Minister State Nathaniel McGill and former NPA managing director seeking elective seats in the Legislature in 2023, there are warnings indirectly from the US government cautioning Liberians and others not do business with the sanctioned officials, because the US government will not work with these people if elected.
If the sanctioned current and former official were to be re-elected and elected respectively, and the US government won’t be able to work with them, it could thwart efforts for the country. For instance, if President Weah does business with Prince Johnson, to help secure votes from vote-rich Nimba County, can that be seen as doing business with a sanction Senator?
Political pundits are urging politicians not to do business with any of the sanctioned current and former officials to avoid being sanctioned too, and subsequently that might put them into trouble with the US government, who will not work with them, thus the people of Liberia will indirectly suffer the consequences of their sanctions.
According to other pundits Liberians like to live dangerously by ignoring warning signs of a situation that come to bother them later. Like in 1997, they ignored the famous calls of ‘more good people than bad people’, and in the end, the country turned to a rogue state under the Taylor’s regime.
Will Liberians again ignore the warning signs that no institution or individual should do business with the current and former sanctioned officials and go ahead to elect them to public offices? The signs are clear that if these people should be elected to public offices, but again with Liberians liking to live dangerously, it won’t be a surprise if the current and former officials are elected for their supporters and followers.
And once they are elected, Liberia will again feel the pinch as the US government won’t be able to work with them due to the targeted sanctions imposed on them.
Will Liberians avoid living dangerously and heed the warning signs on the wall? That is the million dollar question lingering. The bookmakers are watching keenly ahead of the 2023 presidential and legislative.
