who are these Discarded Tinted Government Officials?

This paper has observed that there is a high belief amongst the Liberian public, that pronouncements about prosecution and alleged indicted corrupt officials are being considered hot air bordered on mere charade to distract the public’s attention mounting pressure on the government to call spade a spade regarding major issues affecting the lives of ordinary Liberians; however, the acidic question is who are these corrupt officials in government?

In the face of this divided debate, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission has once again placed the Ministry of Justice in the spotlight submitting a list of individuals to the Ministry to face prosecution for alleged corruption related offenses.

From 2000 to 2015, the Government has also repeatedly blamed its inability to fight corruption by prosecuting officials hooked in GAC, LACC and PPCC’s reports on “CAPACITY & RESOURCES,” begging the question whether the Sirleaf administration will ever have sufficient resources and capacity to fight corruption.

The Executive Chairperson of LACC has revealed that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Hans Barchue (District #1, Grand Bassa County) is reportedly under investigation on allegations of misapplication of US$1.2million intended for the controversial Nationwide Oil Consultations on the passage of the new petroleum law.

Although the indicted corrupt officials’ lists remain endless, the latest indictment of several key government officials by state prosecutors for an alleged act of corruption continues to take various legal dimensions at the criminal Court or either the cases are abandoned without the government pressing charges to the end. Again, the question is re-echoed: just who are those officials and ex-officials indicted and taken to court?

These officials include Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives lawmaker Hans Barchue, Clemenceau Urey and Stephen Dunbar, Peter Jallah, D. Evelyn Kandakai, FodeeKromah, Fulton Reeves,Comptroller; Timothy G. Wiaplah, Senior Accountant; AlomizaEnos Bah, member 52nd Legislature and Nanborlor F. Singbeh, Secretary of the Senate as well as Grand Kru County Senator Albert Tugbe Chie and Sinoe County Senator, Milton Teahjah.

Others allegedly under spotlight are former Montserrado County Representative AlomizaEnnos Barr, Dr. FodeeKromah, former President/CEO, NOCAL; Fulton Reeves, Comptroller, NOCAL; Timothy G. Wiaplah, former Senior Accountant, NOCAL; Judge Melvin Johnson, a Liberian-American and the first black Chief Judge of Lithonia, Georgia, Musa Bility, president of Liberia Football Association, Ellen Corkrum, former head of RIA, Albert Bropleh, Dr. Laurence Bropleh, former minister of information; National Port Authority (NPA) suspended Managing Director, Matilda Parker, and her Comptroller, Christina KparbarPaelay(now indicted) for an alleged fraud of more than US$800,000.

According to the indictment, the co-defendants made fraudulent payments of funds from the accounts of the National Port Authority, (NPA) to Co-defendant Deneah M. Flomo, for their personal use and benefits.

Count Two declared: “That the Co-Defendants Matilda Parker and Christiana KpabarPaleay knowingly, intentionally, and for the purpose of carrying out their criminal scheme, colluded and conspired to evade procurement processes and violated the Public Procurement and Concession Act by sole sourcing Deneah M. Flomo and his Denmar Enterprise and awarded two contracts to Deneah M. Flomo and his Denmar Enterprise on behalf of the National Port Authority (NPA) for the removal of wrecks from the port of Greenville, and the provision of security consultancy as a purported Recognized Security Organization (RSO) at the ports of Monrovia, Greenville and Buchanan valued at US$500,000.00 and US$300,000.00 respectively.

Recently, the government lost yet another case, a high-profile one, because prosecutors dragged their feet, at least according to the ruling of the Criminal Court C at the Temple of Justice which allowed nine former officials of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) to walk out despite the bribery charges levied against them.

Recommendations for prosecution of government officials has now become a cliché with several reports from the Ministry of Justice, General Auditing Commission, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission all stockpiled and awaiting action from the Executive Branch of Government. Despite the public declaration that corruption is the public enemy number one with a promise by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her regime to fight the menace head-on, there are no known cases of prosecution against individuals for corruption.

The LACCC has said after a thorough investigation into corrupt malpractices by past and present officials of the Sirleaf-led government; it is submitting the names of several persons to the Ministry of Justice for immediate prosecution.

LACC Chairman James Verdier on several occasions have said at news conferences hosted in Monrovia that the LACC has been working diligently behind the scene over the past few months to investigate numerous cases which point to mass corruption in the Unity Party led-government and has submitted several of these cases to the arm of government responsible for prosecution, noting the commission will not hesitate to stand singularly to pursue the recommended cases should the Justice Ministry delay the prosecution of the officials.

The MoJ’s snail pace approach in dealing with purported corruption cases is sparking concerns that the ministry may be driven by hidden motives or executive interferences although Minister Sannoh, addressing the United Nations Security Council recently averred that the lack of “readily available capacity and resources” has created bottlenecks in prosecuting corruption cases in Liberia. Sannoh emphasized that delays in prosecuting corruption cases are more a manifestation of capacity challenge than lack of political will to fight the menace. "What is not being said is that prosecuting corruption cases requires capacity and resources, which are not readily available,” he stressed.

The unsealed indictment accused the defendants of refusing to reveal the names of those the monies were paid to at the time thereby defrauding the Government and creating an opportunity and establishing the tinted platform for others to defraud the Government.

States the Indictment: “That the amounts of US$50,000, US$40,000 and US$26,900 named and styled “lobbying fees” which are mentioned in paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 above, were paid out in the form of three checks in the name of Co-Defendant Timothy G. Wiaplah, which he claimed he cashed and remitted to his bosses for the payment of “lobby fees” to members of the 52nd Legislature.”