By Socrates Smythe Saywon | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has intensified pressure on the Liberian government and national legislature to urgently establish a specialized National Anti Corruption Court amid growing public concern over more than US$257 million in government revenues reportedly untraceable within the country’s financial system.
Speaking during a major press conference held Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at CENTAL headquarters in Sinkor, Monrovia, CENTAL Executive Director Anderson Miamen described the financial discrepancies uncovered by a recent compliance audit conducted by the General Auditing Commission as deeply alarming and reflective of major weaknesses in Liberia’s public financial management structure.
Addressing journalists, Miamen said the revelations further demonstrate why Liberia urgently needs a specialized Anti Corruption Court capable of handling corruption and economic crimes swiftly and independently.
According to him, despite years of anti corruption promises and institutional reforms, Liberia has continued struggling to prosecute and conclude major corruption cases involving public officials accused of mismanaging state resources.
The audit reportedly uncovered major discrepancies between revenues recorded in government tax systems and deposits reflected in the government’s Consolidated Revenue Account at the Central Bank of Liberia. The report also identified gaps involving transitory bank accounts, irregular reversal transactions, delayed remittances, unauthorized withdrawals, and inconsistencies between customs billing and actual payments.
According to CENTAL, one of the most troubling revelations involved more than US$257 million and over L$23.6 billion recorded in transitory bank accounts that could not be traced to the government’s General Revenue Account.
Miamen warned that such discrepancies present serious risks to national development and expose public resources to corruption, theft, and abuse at a time when Liberia continues facing major economic and social challenges.
“We are deeply concerned by revelations that revenues amounting to over US$257 million and billions of Liberian dollars recorded in transitory bank accounts could not be traced to the General Revenue Account,” Miamen declared during the press conference.
The audit further revealed unauthorized withdrawals totaling US$59,786.14 and L$55,773.87 from transitory accounts during the audit period, while taxes collected in rural customs areas were allegedly held in cash by tax collectors for prolonged periods before remittance.
According to CENTAL, such practices significantly increase opportunities for financial mismanagement and weaken confidence in the country’s revenue collection and accountability systems.
Miamen stressed that the findings reinforce the urgent need for stronger transparency and accountability measures in the management of Liberia’s financial resources, particularly funds intended for roads, healthcare, education, water systems, and other essential public services.
Against this backdrop, the CENTAL Executive Director welcomed President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s recent submission of two landmark justice and anti corruption bills to the Legislature, describing the move as a potentially transformative moment in Liberia’s fight against corruption and impunity.
The proposed legislation includes an Act establishing a War and Economic Crimes Court and another Act establishing a specialized National Anti Corruption Court under a revised Title 17(a) of the Liberian Code of Laws.
Miamen praised the Office for the Establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court for collaborating with stakeholders to develop the draft legislation, which was formally submitted to the Executive Mansion earlier this month before being transmitted to the Legislature by President Boakai.
“CENTAL is particularly pleased with this indelible step taken by the government to ensure the establishment of the National Anti Corruption Court,” Miamen stated. “When established, the Court will address longstanding challenges regarding impunity for corruption and related offenses in Liberia.”
According to him, the proposed Anti Corruption Court would possess original and exclusive jurisdiction over corruption-related crimes, enabling faster prosecution of economic crimes that have historically remained unresolved within Liberia’s overburdened judicial system.
He argued that the establishment of the court could significantly strengthen public confidence in Liberia’s justice system, which many citizens believe has consistently failed to hold powerful individuals accountable for alleged corruption and abuse of office.
Miamen therefore called on both chambers of the Legislature, including the Senate and House of Representatives, to conduct timely, transparent, and inclusive hearings to ensure speedy passage of the legislation.
He further urged lawmakers to provide adequate budgetary support for the proposed court, warning that accountability institutions in Liberia have historically suffered from insufficient funding, operational weaknesses, and political interference.
“CENTAL pledges full support to the process and commits to working with the Office for the Establishment of War and Anti Corruption Courts, the Legislature, Executive, and development partners to achieve this important milestone,” he emphasized.
While acknowledging recent reform measures announced jointly by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the Liberia Revenue Authority, and the Central Bank of Liberia, CENTAL argued that many of the corrective actions remain future oriented and fail to adequately address alleged past abuses.
The institutions had earlier announced plans to strengthen banking agreements governing transitory accounts, require daily revenue sweep reports from commercial banks, expand the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA), and improve electronic reconciliation systems between banks and government agencies.
However, Miamen cautioned that technological reforms alone would not solve Liberia’s accountability crisis without genuine investigations and prosecutions targeting individuals responsible for alleged wrongdoing.
CENTAL is now calling on the Joint Public Accounts Committee of the Legislature to immediately conduct comprehensive public hearings into the audit findings and hold any individuals implicated in financial misconduct fully accountable.
The organization also urged the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, the Ministry of Justice, and other anti graft institutions to launch criminal investigations into the discrepancies and alleged abuses identified by the GAC audit.
Miamen emphasized that accountability cannot remain selective or politically motivated if Liberia genuinely intends to win the fight against corruption.
He additionally called on the government to provide periodic public updates regarding implementation of the audit recommendations and broader efforts aimed at safeguarding state revenues.
CENTAL’s latest intervention represents growing pressure on the Boakai administration to demonstrate that its anti corruption agenda extends beyond political messaging and public relations.
The debate surrounding the proposed Anti Corruption Court and the massive revenue discrepancies uncovered by auditors is likely to intensify as lawmakers review the legislation and pressure mounts for concrete action against alleged financial misconduct.
As Liberia continues battling economic hardship, declining public trust, and mounting demands for institutional reform, many citizens now view the establishment of a credible Anti Corruption Court and the full investigation of missing government revenues as major tests of whether the country’s leadership is truly committed to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.
