The United States of America Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanction against top government officials in Liberia has received overwhelming welcomes and gratitude from Liberians home and abroad.
OFAC on Monday August 15, sanctioned senior Liberian government officials for publication which they believe have undermined democracy in Liberia for personal benefit.
Those sanctioned by the US Treasury Department includes , Nathaniel McGill, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus and Bill Twehway, Solicitor General of the Republic of Liberia, and Managing Director of the Freeport of Monrovia respectively, for their involvement in ongoing public corruption in Liberia.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Bing TV on August 15, 2022, the head of the Economic Freedom Fighter of Liberia Emmanuel Gonquoi welcomed the sanction against the Liberian officials, adding that the US is building a stronger case for the future.
‘’ The report is welcoming. We have said consistently that Liberia is bleeding under the leadership of President George M. weah. Liberia has had turbulence in some of the dark history days but what we experiencing under President Weah in this post conflict nation is quite unprecedented. The nation should have been progressing but right now the nation is static because of the uncontrolled influx of public corruption in the country.”
He termed Liberia as a country currently without a leader because he believes the country is currently governed by people who lack patriotism, integrity and love for its citizens therefore, their intent and objectives is to loot the country and enrich themselves and inflict more wounds on the Liberian people.
‘’ The key here is that the US treasury is building a case. This may not just be McGill, and the others. This is a path that could in the soonest possible time indict the President himself. Do not be surprised that days from now the President himself will appear on the US treasury list. President Weah has failed to mitigate corruption and prosecute corrupt officials despite calls from international and national leaders because he is the chief architect of corruption’’ Mr. Gonquoi argued.
The country, according to Mr. Gonquoi, is grossly corrupt under the leadership of President Weah. Evidence is their recent action with the decision taken against the LACC which prevent them from being prosecuted in the future, construction of mansions, distribution of monies in almost all of the counties by Minister McGill which was catalogued by the US Department of Treasury.
Meanwhile, Mr. Gonquoi has refuted claims that the US is targeting those sanctioned officials as believed by some citizens, noting that it is a fact that those sanctioned officials are corrupt and it is a clear fact that the nation is bleeding from the loose looting of the state that they are carrying on.
“The US Department Treasury report is based on evidence gathered in the country from the local media and Liberians. The US investigated these corruptions cases before coming out with this sanction and the evidence is all around us here’’, he said.
