Monrovia – The opposition Alternative National Congress in Liberia says it is extremely troubled by the revelations of bribery allegations obtained in the latest Global Witness Report on Liberia.
The London-based organization recently released a report in which it alleges that over $950,000 in bribes and other suspicious payments were made to top Liberian officials by the United Kingdom-based Sable Mining Company and its Liberian lawyer, Varney Sherman.
According to the report entitled – The Deceivers – Sable wanted to get the concession rights to Liberia’s Wologizi iron ore.
Sherman, the Chairman of the ruling Unity Party allegedly told Sable Mining that in order to get the contract, the company must first offer bribes to senior officials to change Liberia’s concession laws but has declined to appear before a Special Task Force set up by the President to look into the scandal and branded the report a “reckless disregard” for the truth.
The veteran lawyer says both he and his law firm are prohibited by law and the Liberian constitution from divulging to anyone what they did for Sable Mining when they served as the company’s lawyers in Liberia in 2010.
“Our code of professional ethics and the Liberian Constitution prohibits us from making any such disclosures and we will subscribe to those tenets even if we were to be taken to the gallows to be hanged,” Sherman said.
Jonathan Gant, senior campaigner on Liberia for Global Witness, said his organization stands by the report. “We have proof that payments were made; we have proof that the intention of the payments was to first get the law changed in order to second get the iron ore deal. And that was the advice given to the company by Sherman, their lawyer, that they should get the law changed in order to get the contract,” he said.
Gant says if it is found that they broke the law, Liberian government officials should be removed from office and prosecuted, while Sherman should be disbarred and also face criminal charges.
The ANC agrees: In its statement, the political party said it is extremely troubled by the allegations that very senior government officials received bribes in connection with the negotiation of a mining concession. “The accused are certainly entitled to a presumption of innocence.
However, if the allegations are true, they have betrayed the trust reposed in them to negotiate concession agreements that truly serve the interest of all Liberians and should thus face the full weight of the law without fear or favor.”
While welcoming the government’s decision to empanel a task force to probe the grave allegations, the ANC frown on the decision by some of the accused to cooperate with the probe. “Instead of eagerly acting to clear their names, some of the accused have refused to cooperate with investigators.
Accordingly, for the love of country, we have a collective responsibility to ensure that our Government acts quickly in this matter and conducts the most credible and transparent investigation as to engender public confidence in the results.”
The political party has meanwhile urged the government and, for that matter, all political parties to seriously think about reforming Liberia’s concession negotiating and granting process so that it is as transparent and open as possible, thereby ensuring that all Liberians, and not just the few in high places, truly benefit from the natural resources with which Providence has so richly endowed our Country.
“As we enter the election season and going forward, the Liberian people can assuredly count on the ANC to put forth serious and thoughtful reform initiatives, for there can be no business as usual if we want to change our country for the better.”
The report says the officials who allegedly received bribes include Speaker of the Liberian House of Representatives Alex Tyler: $75,000 for “consulting fees” and Richard Tolbert, chairman of the National Investment Committee: $50,000 for “consulting fees”.
Morris Saytumah, Minister of State for Finance, Economic and Legal Affairs, now a senator, also allegedly received $50,000 for “consulting fees”, and Willie Belleh, Chairman of Public Procurement and Concessions Commission allegedly received $10,000 for “consulting fees”.
Two of the biggest payments went to persons identified in the report as “Bigboy 01” and “Bigboy 02”, each receiving $250,000 with no explanation of why the payments were made.
Gant said Global Witness knows the payments were made, but it cannot say who the individuals were.
The report also alleges that President Sirleaf’s son, Fombah Sirleaf, who is director of Liberia’s National Security Agency also benefited with “a $7,598 hunting trip to South Africa paid for by Sable.”
Others mentioned in the report include Senator Sumo Kupee and Cletus Wotorson, both allegedly receiving $5,000 each for “consulting fees”. It said Tolbert, Belleh, Kupee, and Wotorson all denied taking bribes from Sable.
