MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Speaker of the 55th Legislature, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, has condemned President Joseph Boakai’s Assets Recovery Task Force, labeling it as a significant failure due to its lack of accountability.
In a radio interview simulcast on Thursday, April 11, Speaker Koffa strongly criticized the operations of the Assets Recovery Task Force, appointed by President Boakai, expressing skepticism about its efficacy.
He argued that the Task Force comprises individuals with semi-political affiliations, lacking independence in their judgments and seemingly driven by political motives to target former officials based on past disagreements during the previous regime.
Moreover, Speaker Koffa raised concerns about the Task Force’s reluctance to utilize existing audit reports from the General Auditing Commission, suggesting a hidden agenda to unfairly target former officials. This, he asserted, has hindered the Task Force’s effectiveness.
In light of these issues, Speaker Koffa urged President Boakai to reconsider the composition of the Task Force, advocating for the inclusion of professionals rather than what he termed as “semi-politicians” with personal agendas.
Notably, Chief Imam Ali Krayee also called for the reconstitution of the Asset Recovery Taskforce, denouncing its current composition as inadequate. Imam Ali Krayee made this plea on Wednesday, April 10, during expressions of gratitude to the Liberian Muslim community at the culmination of the Islamic Holy month of Ramadan. He emphasized the need for the Task Force to focus on retrieving stolen assets dating back to the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
The Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce was established by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai under Executive Order #126, aiming to address issues related to asset recovery in Liberia.
Cllr. Edward Kla Martin, the former Chairman of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), heads President Boakai’s Assets Recovery Taskforce.
