USA β Former employees of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) in the United States of America (USA) & Canada have expressed regret over the shocking and horrific passing of their colleagues, Mr. Albert Peters, Assistant Commissioner, Internal Audit Division (IAD) and Mrs. Gifty Ashma Lama, Manager, Taxpayer Services.
The group through a press statement extended condolences to members of the bereaved families and staffers of LRA.
βOur late colleagues were professionals, committed to providing valuable services to our country. They were true professionals who demonstrated genuine commitment to providing valuable and sacrificial services aimed at mobilizing domestic resources for revenue growth, meeting assigned goals void of politics or political influences,β the former employees in the diaspora noted the statement signed by Tennie Kormazu Kparzarwalah Jallah.
On Thursday, October 1, 2020, Gifty and Peters left their homes for work in good health and sound mind, with the hope of returning the same day. Unfortunately, the following morning, their lifeless bodies were discovered in a parked vehicle on Broad Street, Snapper Hill, near the Sacred Heart Cathedral. This is a tragedy, horrific, terrifying to colleagues and co-workers. It is totally disparaging and has the propensity to cause fear and doubt in the minds of potential professionals and the current workforce providing sacrificial services to our beloved country.
The former LRA employees in the Americas and Canada are demanding a full-scale investigation, free, fair and impartial trial into the mysterious deaths of our professional colleagues, to bring the perpetrators to justice.
βAlso, we request the Government of the Republic of Liberia to cover all expanses to the extent where the family(ies) need independent forensic pathologist(s) to conduct autopsy on the remains of Gifty Ashma Lama and Albert Peters, so as to determine the cause of death,β the statement noted.
They also called on the relevant entities of the government to refrain from delays and technicalities that may derail the investigation.
They further expressed concerns that the families and friends of the late Matthew Innis, Odell Sharman, Jacqueline Anderson and others were denied justice due to delay and inconsistent police investigative report and charges, which caused further harm to our countryβs image internationally.
βLet this be made crystal clear, we will not permit repetition of such; we shall pursue legal or international means to ensure that the Government of Liberia display transparency in these investigations for justices to be served,β they noted.