Hundreds of Liberian officials suspended in anti-corruption purge
Liberian President Joseph Nyumah Boakai has suspended more than 450 top officials in his government, including ambassadors to the US, UK, and the United Nations, for failing to declare their assets to the country’s anti-corruption agency.
According to a press release from the president’s office published on Thursday, the “non-compliant” public servants are suspended for one month “without pay or until they submit the required declarations.”
“Public officials are reminded that assets declaration is not only a legal obligation but also a fundamental measure to promote transparency and restore public trust in government institutions,” Boakai stated.
The country’s laws mandate that all members of the government must declare their wealth upon taking office and when they vacate their positions.
On Wednesday, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) published the list of all the 457 affected public officials. The list includes staff of the Executive Mansion, the official residence of the president, the ministers for education and health, budget ministers, as well as the special envoys for tourism and investment.
Boakai came to power in January last year after defeating ex-football star George Weah, then-president, in a tightly contested runoff election in November 2023. He has pledged to fight poverty and corruption during his six-year term in order to restore “the lost hope” of Liberians.
Last year, anti-government protests erupted in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia, over plans to remove the speaker of parliament, who is accused of corruption. On December 18, a massive fire destroyed the legislative chamber, prompting police to question Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa and others.
Africa’s oldest republic ranked 135th of 180 countries in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International last year, scoring 27 out of 100. The barometer rates countries based on perceived levels of public sector graft, on a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt).
The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia said in a report on Tuesday that the country’s current score, an improvement by two points from 25 in 2023, marks the first progress in seven years.
In response, LACC said the trend “reflects the ongoing national efforts to promote transparency, accountability, and good governance.”
“While this progress is encouraging, we recognize that more work remains in the fight against corruption,” it stated on Thursday.
