IPNEWS: The National Civil Society Council says it is currently soliciting signatures from Liberia for a petition to President George Weah, for the international dismissal, prosecution and confiscation of properties of U.S. sanction designees.
According to the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, stated that Corruption has long undermined Liberia’s democracy and its economy, robbing the Liberian people of funds for public services, empowering illicit actors, degrading the business environment, damaging the rule of law and eroding the effective governance in the country. Corruption contributes to diminished citizens’ confidence in government and the public space and promotes impunity.
“This is why you need to sign this petition to call on the President of the Republic of Liberia, H.E. George M. Weah to take some concrete steps beyond the suspension to save the image of the government from this embarrassment and ensure public trust by dismissing, prosecuting, and confiscating of ill-acquired properties or wealth and barring of said officials from participating in political affairs and governance of the state.” The National Civil Society Council of Liberia started.
It may be recalled, that on Tuesday, August 16, President George Weah suspended three designated senior Liberian government officials.
According to an Executive Mansion release, President Weah received with serious concern, a recent United States Treasury Department report which designates three of his officials for specialized sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act.
The Executive Mansion statement issued Tuesday, August 16, 2022, also noted that President Weah views the allegations against the officials contained in the report as grave charges. .
“In view of this, President George Weah has suspended the named officials, Minister of State Nathaniel McGill, the Managing Director of the National Port Authority Bill Twehway, and Solicitor General Seyma Syrennius Cephus with immediate effect to enable them to face investigation. The President has also designated the principal deputies of the suspended officials to act in their stead.” the release stated.
The suspension of the public officials by President Weah, followed Monday’s, August 15, 2022, designation by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Liberian government officials Nathaniel McGill, Sayma Syrenius Cephus, and Bill Twehway for their involvement in ongoing public corruption in Liberia. These officials are designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world.
On the heels of those action of by the Weah’s administration in adherence to the sanctions, yesterday, Thursday, August 18, multiple sources at various commercial Banks hinted IPNEWS that the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), has ordered the blocking of the financial accounts of the designated persons.
According to IPNEWS impeccable sources, at the United BANK for Africa (UBA) and SIB (formerly GN BANK) confirmed they received official communications from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) early Thursday, August 18, 2022, to freeze the accounts of the three officials of government who were this week placed under Sanction by the United States Department of Treasury for corruption. Two banks in Liberia have confirmed the freezing of Bill Twehway, Syrenius CEPHUS, and Nathaniel McGill’s accounts.
Multiple sources at the United BANK for Africa (UBA) and SIB (formerly GN BANK) told New Republic newspaper that they received official communication from the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) early Thursday to freeze the accounts of the three officials of government who were this week placed under Sanction by the United States Department of Treasury for corruption.
Bill is the Managing director of the country’s largest sea Port – the Free Port of Monrovia, while McGill is the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and CEPHUS is the government’s Chief prosecutor.
The banks refused to state their account details., “It is confidential. We can’t disclose the account details”, a source at SIB said.
Another source at UBA said: “the accounts of these people were frozen today. We received instructions from FIU, and we are under obligation to honor it.”
It is not known how long their accounts will be blocked,
The news of the blocking of the designated person’s accounts, came hours after reports emerged that the U.S. authorities have seized the Green Card of the wife of the suspended Minister of State, Nathaniel McGill, Mrs. Vivian Innis McGill.
