Monrovia – FrontPageAfrica has reliably learnt that Mr. John S. Morlu II, the highly-regarded former Auditor General of the Republicof Liberia is being courted by the George Manneh Weah-led government to lead a special task force to help recoup lost and/or stolen money from previous governments.
Multiple sources have hinted to FPA that discussions have been intense but hindered by details regarding implementation, specifics and scope of Mr. Morlu’s term of reference.
Mr. Morlu, according to sources is reluctant to come into a situation for cosmetic purpose.
In his address to the nation last week, President Weah expressed a desire to review all audits of the previous government headed by ex-president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, most carried out by Morlu when he headed the GAC.
Said President Weah: “In the next several days, my Government will begin the review of all General Auditing Commission audits over the past 10 years, and will commence legal actions against every person that is implicated in these audit reports. Anyone found culpable will face the full force of the law. In this same spirit, my Government also intends to contract international auditing and investigative firms to go after all monies and resources that were illegally taken from Liberia over the last 10 years.”
President Weah said it is time to take the fight against corruption to a new level as a form of social justice for all our people. “We intend to intensify our fight against corruption. But as we battle corruption, our fight will be based on the facts and the evidence of corrupt activities that is adduced by reports from audits that have been professionally conducted, rather than mere perceptions and unsubstantiated allegations.”
The President however said the national dialogue on graft must be based on truth, facts, and evidence. “And our national discourse must also be civil. In this age of social media, let us use this medium as a resource for nation-building and the promotion of peace, rather than a tool of national destruction.”
During his time as Auditor General, Mr. Morlu conducted sixty-five audits of various government ministries and agencies, winning wide international recognition for leading the financial management reform efforts in post war Liberia. His departure from the GAC saw a downward trend for Liberia on global corruption index, including Transparency International Global Corruption Index.
Mr. Morlu, currently a managing partner at his JSM accounting firm in Virginia and subsidiary in Ghana, is an accomplished C-level Executive with 20+ years of experience in accounting and finance. He holds an MBA in Finance from Johns Hopkins University; a Masters in Commerce and Policy from George Mason University; and Bachelor degrees in Economics, and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.
He holds multiple professional certifications including: Certified Public Accountant; Certified Management Accountant; Certified Fraud Examiner; Certified Internal Auditor; Certified Information System Auditor, Certified Government Financial Manager; and Certified Government Auditing Professional.
Prior to founding JS Morlu, John held senior and executive level positions in organizations including the European Union, BearingPoint, Unisys Corporation, Washington Metro Transit Authority and IREX (a nonprofit corporation). John’s professional experience also includes working for a telecommunication start-up and co-founding a technology start-up in Malaysia. He has project management experience in more than 18 countries on four continents.
While a possible return to Liberia could help restore some credibility to the Weah-led government, observers say, the plan go after stolen wealth could change Liberia forever if done right, professionally and with seriousness as stolen asset recovery has significant international backing and a pivotal event in Liberia’s history.