PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CENTAL Dismayed Over   “Business as Usual” under the Boakai-Koung Administration

Monrovia, Wednesday, February 5, 2025 - Distinguish ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for always coming to our call. Your partnership in the fight against corruption is well-appreciated and worthwhile.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, CENTAL expresses dismay over the increasing insensitivity of the Boakai administration to the concerns and aspirations of the Liberian people. We recall these words of President Boakai when he took his oath of office on January 22, 2024:

I applaud the people of Liberia who voted in their numbers for change… The message they sent by their act of courage and determination is loud and clear: no more business as usual. It is a clarion call for a new Liberia, a different Liberia, a Liberia that genuinely practices the rule of law and adheres to the tenets of democratic governance in the interest of all our people.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, the President would then go on to say:

We see hard times, dysfunction, a culture of impunity, and corruption in high and low places. It is these and similar conditions that we have come to RESCUE.

With just over a year in office, the writings on the wall are becoming clearer regarding the President’s delivery of these promises. The rule of law hangs in the balance as tenured officials have been removed contrary to law and replaced by partisans and associates of the Boakai administration. A President who promised to uphold the rule of law would not go to any length to break the law to protect his interest. Recent revelations that the Boakai administration paid a whopping US$374,239.24 to Mr. Aloysius Tarlue, the erstwhile Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), as a settlement regarding a lawsuit bordering on his removal, raises questions about the President’s sincerity about engineering a different Liberia where there is non-more business as usual. With the reason for Tarlue’s suspension ostensibly linked to the outcome of an audit conducted by the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), we now wonder whether the alleged conduct of Tarlue was not the basis of his suspension, but simply a ploy to circumvent the law in favor of President Boakai and his cronies. Moreover, we are shocked that the Boakai administration elected to spend nearly half of a million US Dollars of the Liberian people’s money to facilitate the removal of Tarlue. We are not remiss of the administration potentially executed many of such agreements to the tune of millions of dollars. And since it is now clear that these agreements are signed under strict terms of confidentiality, the Liberian people will truly never get to know how much the administration is dishing out to people illegally removed in favor of the President’s appointees.

Ladies and gentlemen, amid high levels of poverty and a plethora of development needs, tax dollars of Liberians have largely ended up in the pockets of a few high-ranking officials of government who live lavishly on the sweat of ordinary Liberians. Allegations have abounded in the media that top officials of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) are earning monthly salaries and benefits exceeding US$15,000. The situation led to President Boakai commissioning the Bureau of State-Owned Enterprises to investigate the claims and provide recommendations. For more than half a year now, there is no public record (s) available about the outcome of the mandated investigation into the matter.  

President’s Asset Declaration Directive Largely Ignored with Impunity

Since January 2024, several officials of the Boakai-Koung administration have refused to adhere to the legal requirement of declaring their assets, income, and liabilities, before taking office, in line with the Code of Conduct for Public Officials.  In its report released in August 2024, the Liberia Anti-corruption Commission (LACC) reported a meager 26.5% compliance level. As a result, President Boakai issued a directive to all officials to comply within TEN (10) DAYS—effective November 27, 2024—face immediate suspension from their respective positions, as mandated by law until they meet the legal requirements.

Ever since the expiration of the deadline over two months ago, there is no public record available of the President’s action against non-compliant officials who failed to adhere to his directive, including some officials of the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs. We call on the president to do the needful and take appropriate action.  

In reality, the President’s inability to effectively address corruption has become embarrassing and glaringly evident. His snail-paced action and benevolence raise questions about the proper usage of taxpayers’ money. Citizens deserve to know why their money is being used to silence the former governor of the Central Bank of Liberia whom the government claimed had violated the law. This action not only undermines the principles of justice, but also reflects poorly on the president’s ability to uphold his promises of integrity, transparency, and good governance. CENTAL believes that the Boakai-Koung Administration’s handling of these situations exposes a troubling narrative of limited political and presidential will as well as gross failure to deliver on the rule of law, transparency, and other key democratic values and principles.

CENTAL therefore recommends the following:

• The Government must provide a full public disclosure of the findings from the General Auditing Commission’s audit and a detailed explanation of the rationale behind the settlement with Mr. Tarlue. The administration must take decisive actions to ensure that such incidents are thoroughly investigated and that those found guilty are held accountable without exception.

• The Government must prioritize the fight against corruption and demonstrate its commitment to integrity through its actions and not misuse taxpayers’ money for questionable settlements. Such will not only betray the public's trust but also divert funds away from critical public services such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

We conclude by urging the President to be vigilant and do not give a blind eye to the fight against corruption. More importantly, taxpayers’ money must be utilized appropriately and not for ambiguous and exorbitant settlements. We also encourage the press to continue their invaluable work in uncovering the truth and to join us in advocating for a government that truly upholds the principles of transparency and accountability.

Signed:

The Management.