Africa-Press – Liberia. The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has called on President Joseph N. Boakai to dismiss all public officials within the Executive Branch who have failed to comply with the asset declaration requirements mandated by the Code of Conduct for Public Officials.
In a strongly worded press statement issued Tuesday, CENTAL commended the President and other high-ranking officials for complying with the law, but expressed dismay that many others—particularly lawmakers and justices of the Supreme Court—continue to defy legal requirements with impunity.
“We are dismayed that officials at the highest levels of government, who swore an oath to uphold the laws of Liberia, are in gross disregard of the very laws they swore to uphold,” the statement read.
CENTAL pointed out that, although the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) achieved full compliance and leaders such as the President, Vice President, Speaker, and President Pro Tempore have declared their assets, many appointed officials, lawmakers, and justices have not.
The group cited a recent report from the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), which revealed that a “considerable number” of government officials have yet to declare their assets, incomes, and liabilities. Among the high-profile non-compliers are four of the five justices of the Supreme Court, including outgoing Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh and Justices Yussif D. Kaba, Jamesetta H. Wolokolie, and Ceaineh D. Clinton Johnson.
In response, Cllr. Findley D. Karngar, Chairperson of the Office of the Ombudsman, recommended the suspension and withholding of one month’s salary and benefits for the defiant justices, as well as 29 lawmakers—17 representatives and 12 senators.
CENTAL noted the irony in the situation: lawmakers who crafted the Code of Conduct and justices who previously upheld its enforcement are now among its violators.
Nearly a decade ago, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of enforcing the Code of Conduct in the Polson-Mappy v. Republic of Liberia case, stressing the importance of the Office of Ombudsman in ensuring compliance. CENTAL said it is troubling that the same court now stands in breach of that very principle.
“We call on the Legislature to exercise its oversight responsibility in ensuring compliance by Supreme Court Justices,” CENTAL stated, adding that lawmakers who have already complied should lead efforts to hold their defiant colleagues accountable.
CENTAL also raised concerns about the fate of 457 officials suspended by President Boakai earlier this year for failing to declare their assets. The watchdog said it remains unclear whether these individuals have returned to work and if their return was based on compliance with the law.
CENTAL urged the LACC to publish a comprehensive status report on the suspended officials, arguing that such transparency is critical to reinforcing public trust and accountability.
“President Boakai must go a step further from suspension to dismissing all officials within the executive found to have remained defiant,” the statement urged. “We also call on the LACC to ensure that declared assets are verified in a timely manner, so the objectives of the declaration regime are not undermined.”
The Code of Conduct, enacted in 2014, requires all public officials to declare their assets before taking office and upon leaving. Despite its legal authority, implementation has remained inconsistent over the years, a situation CENTAL believes must end under the Boakai administration.
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