No U.S. Visa for Liberian Ex-War-lords, Corrupt Officials

Latest reports in the Ghana media and carried by several online websites last week reported that Corrupt government officials and ex-war lords from Liberia and all over Africa will be denied visas into the United States as part of moves by the US to clamp down on corruption in Africa.

But the Principal Deputy Assistant secretary at the department of state’s bureau of African Affairs for the US, Robert Jackson, told Citi FM’s Vivian Kai Mensah that America will not issue visas to government officials in Africa that are corrupt.

The move, which was initially only applicable to only a number of African countries, will now cover all. Africa has been battling with corruption for decades. The West has been heavily criticised by civil society organizations for not doing enough to help the continent deal with the matter, among others.

Mr. Robert Jackson said : Most of Africa’s corrupt officials spend and stash their booty in the West. ‘We are not giving visas to them anymore.’ Meanwhile, in the wake of the latest development, there is growing fear amongst Liberian government officials and ex-war-lords majority of whom are holders of dual citizenships, green card and have their families residing in the United States and pay frequent visit there.

Besides, several ex-war lords include George Boley of LPC, Thomas Nimely Yaya of MODEL and Prince Y. Johnson of INPFL, are contesting this year’s Mid-term Senatorial election.

Recently, including Associate Supreme Court Justice Kabineh J'aneh, Youth and Sports Minister Eugene Nagbe, and Senator Geraldine Doe-Sheriff were denied entry either en route or upon entry in the U.S. after they were granted visas by the embassy in Monrovia in diplomatic passports. The trio had some affiliation with different rebel groups during Liberia's civil war, which lasted from 1989 to 2003.

Information Minister Lewis Brown confirmed that three senior Liberian government official's one from each branch of the government visas have been revoked by the United States government. The Minister said the government of Liberia like any other responsible government around the world will write the U.S. government inquiring why those senior officials' visas were revoked.

Said Brown: "We are hearing all sorts of speculations, some claiming that my visa has been revoked. These are all speculations that are totally untrue." Responding to questions that the US has requested President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to present the blueprint of all those accused of war and economic crimes, the Minister described the comment as totally False, noting that the U.S. government respects Liberia as a sovereign state.

The United States Embassy in Monrovia also confirmed the reports of the cancellation of visa of some Liberian government officials.