Monrovia – In the wake of the recent damaging report released by International watchdog group Global Witness accusing several past and present officials of the government of Liberia for receiving bribes to temper with the country procurement and concession law, the main opposition political party Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) has ended a three-day hunger strike which ended with a position statement to the United States of America through its embassy in Monrovia to deny travel visas to Liberians accused in the report.
According to the party, after three days of hunger-strike, which it described as a difficult, but necessary revolutionary act of self-denial & pains inflicted to draw attention to the reign of corruption in Liberia it is calling on the United States to help the country fight corruption by denying entry visa to some Liberians and also investigating and freezing their bank accounts.
Stated the CDC: “Living in a country endowed with the abundance of diverse natural resources, the tragedy of hunger affecting millions of families stretched across cities, towns and villages lacking pipe-borne water and electricity, we count ourselves lucky to afford food we’re now rejecting in order to dramatize the ‘Clear and present danger’ of endemic corruption, a threat to peace we starve to divert”.
The party indicated that its partisans gathered at the door step of the United States to mourn the untold sufferings of fellow citizens who are denied the right to daily food while the barnyards of corrupt officials overflow with the proceeds of waste, fraud and abuse of power.
“This wanton insensitivity of greedy policymakers is so routinely entrenched that concession deals are too often negotiated to compromise the benefits of the ordinary workforce to enrich the already rich and powerful”, the CDC lamented.
Country at crossroad
The opposition political party has declared that the country is at a crossroad and as a party it cannot sit supinely and watch the country’s democracy crumble.
“Our country is at a crossroad, faced with the options of sitting supinely and watching democracy crumble under the weight of intrinsic corruption, or rise to the task of fighting for the rights and privileges of ordinary citizens; mothers and fathers who oftentimes have no choice but subject their values and pride to unconventional means to feed the family; irrespective of the consequences, we choose the latter and shall keep fighting for the collective interests of the poor and needy, who thrives as better citizens when public officials are held to the standards of accountability”, noted the CDC.
The party has stated that it is eager to see the end of all manners of impunity in Liberia, and solidly desirous of seeing prudent and timely political measures taken against corrupt officials of government, it encamped outside the US embassy to raise alarm.
In its recommendation, the CDC is demanding that all accused (without fear or favor) in the Global Witness’ uncovered corruption scandal, be investigated & prosecuted.
The party also wants all officials of government named in the Global Witness’ report, to include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, recuse themselves from positions of influence and conflict of interests until full investigation and prosecution is concluded.
In further recommendation, the party also wants all officially documented acts of corruption (outside the Global Witness’ publication) to be equally investigated and prosecuted, expeditiously.
“Therefore, owing to your historic anticorruption leadership worldwide, and your selfless pledge to help stand with your allies and the international community to fight corruption, which has been tagged a transnational crime by a legislation passed by President Obama, we crave the assistance of the United States government to conduct additional and extensive investigation into the domestic and international financial dealings of all individuals named in the Global Witnesses’ scandal”, added the CDC statement.
Cataloguing the United States stance against corruption, the CDC disclosed that some Liberians have a long history of siphoning the resources of the state and the US must step up to help the country deal with the situation.
“These alleged masterminds of a criminal network of bribery, being senior officials of government, may have also been indulged in the habitual siphoning of international donor goodwill to Liberia, gestures made possible by taxes paid by citizens of the United States and other members of the international community”, continued the CDC.
With long standing ties between Liberia and the United States of America, the opposition political party in the statement called on the United States to hold responsible the named individuals and branches of government involved in bribery, and tolerate or commit corrupt practices in contravention of international norms.
“Deny U.S. entry to all individuals named in the Global Witness’ bribery scandal and take steps to hold accountable those with U.S. citizenship once they step on American soil”, the CDC appealed.
Freeze assets
The party also wants the assets of these individuals frozen and they are subjected to investigation and prosecution.
“Freeze any foreign account of the named and accused individuals while investigation and prosecution is ongoing”, the CDC recommended.
The CDC stated that it believes these actions, when taken will help in Liberia’s anti-corruption campaign, promote transparency, and help stem corruption worldwide.
The party is very critical on prevailing issues in the country including corruption, abuse of human rights and other vices.
The government of Liberia has already indicted three individuals and Sable Mining Company for allegedly committing multiple criminal offences including criminal conspiracy, economic sabotage and others.
Those indicted include Senator Varney Sherman, House of Representatives Speaker J. Alex Tyler while others are yet to be indicted.
State Prosecutor and Montserrado County Attorney Daku Mulbah recently told FrontPageAfrica that more individuals will be indicted soon in connection with the same Global Witness report.
The trial of those indicted has already commenced with argument expected on bail bonds filed by the accused.
Although they have been indicted but there are public skepticisms that the trial will be a fruitless effort due to the close ties between Justice Minister, Cllr. Frederick Cherue, Solicitor General, Betty L. Blamoh and the main man, Senator Varney Sherman.
Minister Cherue is a longtime friend to Cllr. Sherman while Solicitor General Blamo started her law career as an employee of the Sherman and Sherman Law firm owned by Cllr. Sherman.