Mr. Joel Maybury, US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission
The US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission of the United States Embassy accredited near Monrovia, Joel Maybury, has urged the Liberian judicial system to take concrete action against sanctioned Liberian government officials instead of relying on the US Government to act on their behalf.
It can be recalled on August 15, 2022, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned three Liberian government officials – former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel McGill, former Solicitor General Syrenius Cephus, and former Director of the National Port Authority Bill Twehway – for their involvement in ongoing public corruption under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
“McGill was designated for being a foreign person responsible for or complicit in, or who has 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.
Cephus was designated for being a foreign person responsible for or complicit in, or who has 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.
Sanctioned Senators Varney Sherman and Prince Y. Johnson
Twehway was designated for being a foreign person responsible for or complicit in, or has 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.”
Speaking on Thursday as a Guest Lecturer at the First Public Lecture series of the School of Global Affairs and Policy, Cuttington Schools of Graduate and Professional studies in Congo Town, US Deputy Chief of Mission Joel Maybury said that the onus is now on the Liberian government to prosecute sanctioned and corrupt officials.
Maybury said that America as a friend to Liberia will always be a partner to the country in efforts to combat corruption and help Liberians realize their dreams. However, he emphasized that Liberians must take the lead in creating opportunities to tackle corruption.
“As a friend of Liberia, we want to facilitate and respect your sovereignty. So, when we declare people sanctioned or designate people for sanction, we also want to respect the fact that the government of Liberia has a judiciary system, and so we are waiting for your judiciary system to take action,” Maybury averred.
Former GOL officials Nathaniel McGill, Bill Twehway and Syrenius Cephus
“We hope that there will be a Liberian action to speak louder than words and hold themselves accountable instead of waiting for Americans to take action for them in fighting corruption,” the US Deputy Chief of Mission added.
Maybury served as the first speaker of the first public lecture of the Cuttington Graduate School of Global Affairs and Policy and spoke on the topic of “Communication in Diplomacy.” He also encouraged students to learn more than one language, which would give them an added advantage in diplomacy.
- Elias Shoniyin, the Dean of the School of Global Affairs and Policy, Cuttington University, praised Maybury for accepting their invitation to serve as the inaugural speaker at their first public lecture series. He said the lecture series provides an opportunity to share vast knowledge and provides a sense of community, allowing presenters from various disciplines to share their perspectives on pressing global issues, enabling students, faculty, and the general public to think critically.
It can also be recalled US Ambassador to Liberia, Michael A. McCarthy called on the Government of Liberia to prosecute those former and current officials his government sanctioned because “there are glaring pieces of evidence that have shown indeed that those sanctioned officials were in involved with corruption in the Liberian government.”
