MONROVIA, Liberia — Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, head of the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT), says the draft FY2026 national budget contains no allocation for his unit, warning that a funding gap would undercut ongoing investigations and high‑stakes recovery actions.
“There is a significant oversight in the draft budget,” Martin said Monday on OK FM’s Morning Rush. “I received it, and it is clear that we have no allocation whatsoever. The budget needs to be revisited to ensure adequate support for our critical work.”
Martin said the task force—set up to trace and recover stolen public funds and assets—relies on operational financing for intelligence‑gathering, fieldwork, forensic support and legal proceedings. “Without funding, our efforts to reclaim assets that rightfully belong to Liberia could be severely compromised,” he warned.
He disclosed that AREPT is pursuing a major matter before the British High Court that could return about US$8 million to the Treasury. “We are in the process of making a compelling case in the British High Court that could see eight million dollars returned to our nation’s coffers,” he said, noting he expects to travel “soon” in connection with the case.
Calling asset recovery “essential for our national integrity,” Martin urged the government to prioritize the task force before the budget is finalized. “We must ensure that our unit is adequately financed to fulfill its mandate,” he said.
AREPT was established by executive order to trace, restrain and recover stolen assets and has announced several recent indictments tied to alleged laundering and misuse of public funds. The draft FY2026 budget—Liberia’s first to top US$1 billion—is now before the Legislature for scrutiny and potential revision.
