MONROVIA-The United States of America, through its State Department, has pinned down the Liberian Government for acts of corruption and lack of transparency.

The 2022 State Department’s Report mentioned that the Liberian Law provides criminal penalties for bribery, abuse of office, economic sabotage, and other corruption-related offenses committed by officials, but the government did not take any concrete steps aimed at the implementation of the law effectively.

The report noted that the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission was established by law in 2008 with a mandate to investigate and prosecute acts of corruption, as well as to educate the public regarding the ills of corruption.

It indicated that on July 22, 2022, the Legislature enacted an amended law that gives a new anti-corruption

Commission more powers and establishes an open and competitive process for selecting commissioners, but the new law still remains under judicial review at year’s end.

The State Department Report pointed out that there were numerous reports of government corruption, during the year when officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity.

The report highlighted that on August 15, 2022,  the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of

Staff Nathaniel Farlo McGill, Solicitor-General and Chief Prosecutor Sayma Syrenius Cephus, and National Port Authority Manager,  Bill Teh Twehway were

sanctioned under international law for their involvement in corrupt practices while serving as government officials.

The State Department Report also indicated that all three subsequently resigned in September of the same year, and it was the third consecutive year in which Senior Government Officials were sanctioned for corruption.

It mentioned that in 2021, President George M. Weah suspended Presidential Special Projects Coordinator, Makenneh Keita for allegedly soliciting five Million Dollars from a businessman who was exploring investment opportunities but on March 22, 2022, the Liberia National Police, (LNP) cleared Keita of corruption charges.