The president for the Liberia National Bar Association has called on the American government to deny corrupt Liberian officials visa.
Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe made the call last May 7, 2021, when he delivered his official statement at programs marking the celebration of Law Day in Monrovia.
He did not give names of people whom he considers as corrupt.
He said, “it is no secret that the Government of Liberia, for decades, has been unable to fight corruption, although there have been frequent pronouncements against corruption.”
“In order to curtail the freedom of theft in Liberia,” he said this; “I reiterate on this day my call to the American Government on behalf of the Liberian National Bar Association to deny visas to officials and employees of government in the three branches of the Liberian Government who are deemed to be corrupt based on lifestyle audits. I make the same appeal to the European Union on this Law Day.”
He continued: “The evidence is that every succeeding Liberian administration has proven not to have the political will to fight corruption.”
According to him, most of the thieves in government like to travel to the United States and Europe to enjoy their stolen money.
“Our last president and the current president have used the closeness of Liberians as an excuse for their very little or no action against corrupt government officials and employees, as well as management executives and employees of public corporations.”
He declared: “Therefore, Liberia has become a paradise for thieves in the public sector to the extent that those thieves openly enjoy and exercise what I describe as freedom of theft.”
He urged America and Europe not to make themselves co-conspirators in the theft that is going in Liberia by granting access to corrupt officials and employees of government to spend money stolen from the Liberian people in their countries.
According to him, he is not against the accumulation of wealth by hard work and the use of the intellect.
“But the LNBA wants Liberia to have its own wealthy people in the same way that America has its Michael Bloomberg, Bill Gates, or Nigeria, its Aliko Dangote. In this way generations of Liberians will learn to work hard and to use their minds to acquire wealth and contribute to the progress and prosperity of Liberia.”
The LNBA’s position on combatting corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing is an integral part of its fight for accountability and justice, the longtime human rights advocate noted.
Then he said this: “I invite all well-meaning Liberians and residents to join the LNBA in marching to the National Legislature to submit this bill,”
“Also, I want to inform the Liberian people that the Executive Committee is considering the issue of working with the members of the Legislature for the impeachment of those judges that have been found guilty of misconduct by the Supreme Court of Liberia.”