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Thunderbolt in Liberia after suspending, Tuesday, August 16, three top officials accused of corruption in a recent report. The three men, including President George Weah’s chief of staff, were sanctioned by the United States on Monday for ” Undermining Liberia’s democratic institutions for personal interests George Weah, who made fighting corruption his hobby, ended up taking crackdowns.
On the website of the Liberian government, Mr. President George Weah He said he was concerned about allegations by the US Treasury, which singled out three of his close aides Corruption facts. The top sanctioned officials are not well known: there is Nathaniel McGill, chief of staff to the president, Sima Sirinius Cephus, the attorney general, and Bill Towe, chief executive of the National Ports Authority.
George Weah called the American allegations ” Grand As a result, stop with immediate effect “He mentioned the three before their deputies replaced them at the time of the investigation. For Liberian journalist Betty Mbayo, the head of state had no choice:
” You can’t say you want to fight corruption while at the same time your loved ones are caught red-handed. This obviously raises questions about George Weah’s integrity. He now has a responsibility to show that he is true to his promises. »
In 2017, the year of his election, President Weah made fighting corruption a priority. But since then, almost nothing has changed. While the Liberian opposition welcomes the suspension of the three senior officials, scholar Ibrahim Albakri Niyai is calling for structural reforms:
” What is at stake is more important than the dismissal of civil servants. It is a question of the capacity, integrity and independence of Liberian institutions. If a foreign government has to tell you that your government is corrupt and is acting on your behalf, it means that you are not running a functioning government. »
The US sanctions announced on Monday come a month after George Weah invited Washington to a summit of African heads of state where the fight against corruption should be discussed. The summit will be held from Dec. 13 to 15.
