Liberia: Public Officials Dodging Asset Declaration?

— Only 26.5% of 1,900 officials declared their assets, LACC discloses

Out of 1,900 public officials, including members of the Legislature and the Judiciary, only 26.5 percent have declared their assets, according to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).

According to Cllr. Alexandra Zoe, Executive Chairperson of the LACC, the remaining 73.5 percent of these public officials have yet to declare their assets publicly.

“The Asset Declaration exercise is a vital tool in our fight against corruption,” says Cllr. Zoe. “It enhances public trust in our institutions by holding public officials accountable and ensuring that they lead by example. Transparency in asset declarations also acts as a deterrent to corrupt practices and promotes a culture of integrity.”

The National Code of Conduct, which was enacted in 2014 by the Government of Liberia, provides for the declaration and registration of personal interest, performance, and financial bonds by all public officials and employees of the government.

The LACC is responsible for ensuring that this mandate is enforced. They received the assets declared by the public officials and verified them. The exercise is to promote transparency and accountabilityin fulfillment of Article 90(c) of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, which requires the government to create rules and conflicts of interest.

July 31st, 2024, was set as the deadline for public officials to declare their assets. The disclosure by the Commission’s Chairperson comes after presidential press secretary, Kula Fofana reminded public officials that the Assets declaration was overdue.

“A quick reminder to public officials: If you haven’t declared your assets, today is the deadline,” she said.

Rule of law is the third item on President Joseph N. Boakai’s ARREST agenda, an acronym representing Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism with a popular phrase “No Business as Usual.” Boakai promised to promote accountability, openness, and transparency.

In February 2024, President Boakai declared his assets. Vice President Jeremiah K. Koung, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, J. Fonati Koffa, also followed to declare their assets.

According to Cllr. Zoe, the “exercise is crucial in preventing and detecting illicit enrichment, conflicts of interest, and corruption.

Legislative, Judicial and Executive officials refuse to declare?

The House of Representatives has 73 elected lawmakers, only 26 declared to the LACC. The remaining 47 were non-compliant. “Of the 56 administrative staff of the House of Representatives that were identified, only 1 staff complied, demonstrating a commitment to the rule of law,” said Cllr. Zoe.

For the Senate, out of the 30 members, “18 were non-compliant,” says Cllr. Zoe.

Of “the 44 administrative staff of the House of Senate that were identified, none complied.”

Of the 1,281 Executive officials, 322 compiled while 959 are non-compliant.

“We also received 84 asset declarations from non-appointed employees of the government, thus bringing the total number of asset declarations received from the Executive branch of government to 406, demonstrating their commitment to transparency.”

In the Judiciary branch, a total number of 333 persons are required to declare. Only 28 officials complied, including 7 judges and 21 administrative staff were in compliance, demonstrating their commitment to transparency, while 305 were non-compliant.

Commission’s Next Action

According to Cllr. Zoe, the Commission, will publish the full listing of those who have declared their assets.

“We will also recommend to the relevant authorities to enforce sanctions against these non-compliant people, [including] withholding of salaries or suspension, until compliance.”