The National Coordinator of the Liberia CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition, James Koryor has made the latest call for citizens to reject at the polls all those who perpetrated violent crimes and havoc on the Liberian people during the 14 years civil war and economic crimes during the civil unrest and continues to do because of their proximity to political power.
According to Mr. Koryor, since the end of the civil war in 2003, past and current governments has refused and neglected to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report by establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia to ensure that those who committed war crimes and crimes against humanity can face justice, a situation that have made many of them to seek political offices and continues to remain in the corridor of powers.
The Anti-Corruption Activist furthered that while scores of Liberians and different groups have demonstrated and protested across Monrovia on different dates, the Liberia Government have not taken any action to seek justice for the approximately 250,000 people that were killed during the civil war.
Koryor also commended the United States Government through the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, E.O. 13818 for sanctioning five officials of the Liberian Government in 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively.
The designation by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of Cllr. Varney Sherman, Senator of Grand Cape Mount and Chairman of the Liberian Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020 was a significant accomplishment by the United States in helping to fight corruption in Liberia. Cllr. Sherman has been shielded by the Liberian Legislature over the years. As we goes to the polls on October 10, 2023 it is imperative that Liberians especially Citizens of Grand Cape Mount County vehemently reject him by voting him out as a sign of promoting accountability and justice. Koryor noted.
The GASD boss also stated that on December 9, 2021, U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, E.O. 13818 designated Mr. Prince Yormie Johnson is a former warlord and current member of the Liberian Senate. He is the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security, Defense, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs. In 1990, he was responsible for the murder of former Liberian President Samuel Doe, and Johnson is named in Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Report as having committed atrocities during the country’s first civil war. We can’t continue to have people like Senator Johnson within our governing structure as a country and expect the country to move forward. What is needed now, for the Nimba County Senator is to have his day in court and not another nine years to keep surviving on taxpayer monies, Koryor stressed.
Koryor further stressed that corruption in Liberia remains a major impediment to economic and social development and with the dismantling of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission and weak structural implementation of other anti-graft institutions, public officials continues to steal and enrich them-selves and afterward seek elected offices as a means of protecting their ill-gotten wealth.
As the US Government continues to fight corruption globally, on August 15, 2022 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. Koryor Noted.
Koryor stated that two of the August 2022 sanctioned former Liberian Government officials, including Nathaniel McGill and Bill Twehway are seeking elected offices in the ensuing October 10 elections in Margibi and River Cess Counties respectively. We are calling on citizens of the two counties to not elect these two persons who have been designated for corruption, Koryor concluded.
The anti-corruption activist also stated that there are score of others who are seeking elections and re-elections to the legislature and Liberians should reject them now. Some of them include; Rep. Yeheh Kolubah, Rep. George Boley, Roland Duo, Alex Tyler, Dwannah Kamara, and all others you are aware of that are corrupt and participants of the civil war in Liberia, Koryor noted.
In closing let me call on the over 2.4 million registered voters across the country to remain peaceful as we goes to the polls in few days on October 10. We should be cognizant that Liberia is our common denominator and we should not support any forms of electoral violence. We condemn in the strongest term the recent electoral violence in Lofa County stating that no one should die because of corrupt politicians.