Africa-Press – Liberia. The Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force (AREPT) has officially launched its website, marking a major step in enhancing transparency, public engagement, and information-sharing on the institution’s work.
Speaking during the launch ceremony in Paynesville, AREPT Chairperson Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin said the initiative, conceived by the Communication Unit, is part of ongoing efforts to keep Liberians and international partners informed about the Task Force’s activities.
“This platform will ensure that every citizen can follow our work and even report suspicious wealth, track our progress, and understand our commitment to retrieving stolen assets and fighting corruption,” Cllr. Martin said.
Cllr. Martin reaffirmed AREPT’s dedication to combating corruption, highlighting its achievements since inception. He disclosed that AREPT has already secured its first indictment and is preparing three more under a major investigative sweep code-named Operation Bushfire. These cases, he said, involve substantial stolen assets, fictitious contractual agreements, and properties acquired with misappropriated public funds.
“We are bold. We are strong. We are committed to this process,” Martin told the audience. “We will fight corruption despite threats and intimidation. Our duty is to Liberia, and our loyalty is to the truth.”
According to Cllr. Martin, AREPT is actively investigating more than 40 suspicious properties in Liberia and tracking foreign-based assets through cooperation with international partners in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Sweden.
The Chairman used the moment to advocate for the legislative enactment of AREPT as an autonomous body, noting that the scale of Liberia’s asset recovery effort demands permanence. “This is work that cannot be left unfinished,” he said.
Representing the Minister of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism, Hon. Jerolinmek M. Piah, Acting Assistant Minister for Information Services, Mr. Lawrence Fahnbulleh, served as keynote speaker. Mr. Fahnbulleh hailed the new digital platform as “an essential tool towards informing the public of AREPT’s work,” pledging this ministry’s commitment to partner with the Taskforce’s Media Department in ensuring that critical updates, public notices, and investigative outcomes are communicated swiftly and accurately.
“The public has the right to know what is being done in the fight against corruption,” Fahnbulleh said. “This website ensures that such information will be accessible to all, and the Ministry of Information will work closely with AREPT to keep it that way.”
The site (https://arept.org/) features essential information about AREPT’s mandate, ongoing investigations, public reports, and contact channels, and it also provides updates on anti-corruption campaigns and opportunities for citizens to report suspected corruption cases.
The launch, according to AREPT, represents a new chapter in ensuring that the public and partners can engage directly with AREPT’s work in real-time, thereby reinforcing Liberia’s broader governance and anti-corruption goals.
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