MONROVIA – The fight against corruption is gaining strength by the day under the Joseph Boakai Nyuma Boakai government with anti-graft institutions collaborating in endeavors to clamp down on the menace that has destroyed the fabric of the Liberian nation.
Governments of the past and now the current administration of President Boakai made promises to fight corruption at all fronts. But the latest intensity by the Boakai administration signals a positive direction that a new path has been taken to bring sanity to public service and preserve integrity, accountability and transparency.
And so, the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT), under the leadership of Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) of Liberia to deepen collaboration in the national fight against corruption and theft of public resources.
This strategic partnership aligns with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s mandate to retrieve every stolen asset and promote transparency and accountability across government.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, the Officer-in-Charge of the FIA, Mohammed Ali Nasser, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to the taskforce’s work.
“We are here to fight corruption and will give AREPT all the necessary support,” Mr. Nasser said. “There are predicate offences that lead to money laundering that we are targeting, and those are some of the things AREPT is after too.”
On his part, Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin lauded the FIA, describing the agreement as a bold step toward changing the narrative around corruption in Liberia.
“If we can’t curtail it, we must initiate a process that stops it,” Cllr. Martin stated. “We have the endorsement and support of the President to fight corruption, and as foot soldiers in this process, we must take the bull by the horn.”
This MoU lays the groundwork for improved data sharing, joint investigations, and a united front in recovering assets that rightfully belong to the Liberian people.
President use clampdown on corruption as one his campaign promises in 2023 when he was seeking the Liberian presidency. Pundits are of the belief that the recent decisions taken by the AREPT, the LACC, etc to go after former and current officials of government who allegedly abuse public trust and office will set a deterrence for future would-be abusers of public turst and office.
