LIBERIA: SAMUEL TWEAH, EMMANUEL NUQUAY AND ALBERT CHIE JOIN THE LIST OF SANCTIONED OFFICIALS

The United States of America has taken additional sanctions against Liberian government officials for corruption.

Those who are caught in the net of the United States this time are Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, Senator Albert Chie and Senator Emmanuel Nuquay.

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of State, the decision was taken following actions to promote accountability for corrupt actors around the world.

“On the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day and the opening of the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption, the United States is taking the following actions to promote accountability for corrupt actors around the world. The Department of State is designating over 30 individuals pursuant to Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023 (Div. K, P.L. 117-328), as carried forward by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 (Div. A, P.L. 118-15). The Department of the Treasury is designating two individuals and 44 entities pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.” The statement stipulates.

The statement farther explains that Section 7031(c) provides that in cases where there is credible information that officials of foreign governments have been involved in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights, those individuals and their immediate family members are generally ineligible for entry into the United States and must be either publicly or privately designated.

“Pursuant to Section 7031(c), the United States is publicly designating Tweah, Chie, and Nuquay, afor their involvement in significant corruption by abusing their public positions through soliciting, accepting, and offering bribes to manipulate legislative processes and public funding, including legislative reporting and mining sector activity. As part of this action, their immediate family members are also designated, including their spouses Delecia Berry Tweah, Abigail Chie, and Ruthtoria Brown Nuquay, and Tweah and Nuquay’s minor children.” The statement indicates.

On December 8, Treasury designated Mayor of Monrovia Jefferson Koijee pursuant to E.O. 13818 for engaging, or having been a leader of an entity that has engaged in serious human rights abuse and corruption. In addition to serious human rights abuse, Koijee engaged in corrupt acts, including bribery and misappropriation of state assets and pressuring anti-corruption investigators to halt all corruption investigations.