Africa-Press – Liberia. The decision by the House followed a communication from Maryland County Electoral District #1 Representative P. Mike Jury (left), who requested that the task force headed by Edwin Kla Martin (right) be invited to provide an update on its mandate, activities, and results.
In a move aimed at promoting accountability and transparency in the use of public funds, the House of Representatives has summoned the Liberia Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT) to present a comprehensive report on its operations and achievements since its establishment.
The decision by the House followed a communication from Maryland County Electoral District #1 Representative P. Mike Jury, who requested that the task force be invited to provide an update on its mandate, activities, and results.
In his letter to the Plenary, Rep. Jury noted that since the creation of the task force, there has been little public information regarding its work, raising concerns about its effectiveness and transparency.
“The Liberian people deserve to know the gaps between what has gone missing, what has been recovered, and what has ultimately been returned,” Rep. Jury stated.
He further requested that Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, Chairperson of the Taskforce, appear before the Plenary on Thursday, May 22, 2025, to give a detailed report on the entity’s activities and accomplishments.
Following deliberations on the floor, Montserrado County District #16 Representative Dixon Seboe made a motion for the appearance of the Taskforce leadership before the House to respond to concerns raised by lawmakers.
The Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce was initially established through Executive Order #126 on March 5, 2024, and later renewed under Executive Order #145 on March 5, 2025. Its core mandate is to recover, restore, and reinstate government assets—both fixed and liquid—that were unlawfully converted to private use by public officials, either within or outside the country.
In a related development, the Taskforce has released a newsletter outlining its recent work and challenges.
According to the newsletter, AREPT has continued aggressive investigations into several high-profile cases involving alleged misappropriation of public funds and property. Between February and April 2025, the Taskforce reported near-completion of investigations into 17 major corruption cases involving both former and current government officials.
Additionally, it disclosed the launch of nine new investigations, bringing the total number of active cases to 26. The Taskforce said it has summoned and engaged more than 15 public officials to assist with its ongoing probes.
“These engagements have followed due process and were conducted without incident or information leakage—except for a single breach, which has been appropriately addressed,” the Taskforce stated.
It further clarified that being invited to provide information or clarification does not imply guilt. Rather, it is part of ensuring that all parties involved are given a fair opportunity to be heard, in keeping with the principles of transparency, evidence-based inquiry, and justice.
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