Monrovia – The Central Command of the Green Revolution of Liberia, advocating for accountability, has condemned the Supreme Court of Liberia for what it termed as a “dangling strategy” of delaying the case involving the Asset Recovery Team vs. Finda Bondo Gracious Ride, which it says has languished in the High Court for months without resolution.
In a statement issued in Monrovia on Thursday, the Green Revolution of Liberia criticized the High Court’s inaction, calling it a betrayal of the fight against corruption and a disservice to “poor victims at the hands of these corrupt individuals.”
“We call on the Honorable Supreme Court to render judgment in this case so that those who have unjustly accumulated wealth can be brought to justice,” the group said in the statement read by Varney G Kromah. “Any further delay in the case of the Asset Recovery Team vs. Finda Bondo Gracious Ride will undermine our fight against ongoing criminal activities in our country and send a negative message to our international partners about Liberia’s seriousness in managing their investments.”
The statement continued: “We urge the high court to treat this case as a national emergency to enable the Taskforce to address the critical issue of corruption, which keeps our people in abject poverty.”
The Central Command of the Green Revolution of Liberia also lauded the significant contributions of the international community, individuals, and groups that have endorsed the Asset Recovery Team, which was established by President Joseph Nyumah Boakai to tackle extensive corruption within the state.
As a political pressure group, they view the Court’s “continuous delay” as not only a slap in the face of Liberians but also a setback in the fight against corruption and a challenge to the constitutional authority granted to the President by Article 5 of the 1986 Constitution.
President Boakai set up the Task Force on March 5 through Executive Order No. 126 to search, seize, and investigate government assets obtained illegally. However, the group claims the team has been stalled by the Supreme Court for months, a tactic they believe is meant to hinder the Boakai administration’s anti-corruption efforts.
They noted that Article 3 of the 1986 Constitution designates powers to the three branches of government, with no branch allowed to usurp, interfere with, or disrupt the powers of another. “However,” they added, “we see the contrary in the case of asset recovery.”
The Green Revolution alleged that some individuals are using the High Court as a shield to evade justice, and the court’s delays suggest it supports these actions. They claimed that the Supreme Court’s inaction has resulted in the depletion of suspected accounts worth millions, and government-owned vehicles have been smuggled across borders and sold while the court continues to interfere with executive powers.
The group urged the international community, including the US Embassy and other diplomatic missions near Monrovia, as well as all Liberians, to continue supporting asset recovery efforts to reclaim resources that could save lives in major hospitals and provide basic social services for the ordinary people across the country.
