The US sanctions three senior officials of the Government of Liberia for corruption

Aug. 16 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The United States Department of the Treasury has sanctioned this Monday for corruption three senior officials of the Liberian government headed by President George Weah.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated officials Nathaniel McGill –minister of the Presidency–, Sayma Syrenius Cephus –attorney general–, and Bill Twehway –director of the National Port Authority– for their participation in the corruption of the African country, according to a statement made public by the Treasury Department.

“Through their corruption, these officials have undermined democracy in Liberia for their own personal gain,” said Brian E. Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, on his Twitter account.

Thus, the letter states that corruption has deprived “the people of Liberia of funds for public services, empowering illicit actors, degrading the business environment and damaging the rule of law and effective governance in the country.”

The US has stressed that these sanctions “reaffirm the commitment” of the North American country “to hold corrupt actors accountable.” “The United States is a proud and dedicated partner and friend of Liberia and stands with the people of Liberia,” the statement read.

Likewise, Washington has promised to “work with (…) Liberia to make the fight against corruption a priority.” In this way, he has proposed strengthening the anti-corruption capacity of the public sector and reviewing the criteria for bilateral and multilateral assistance, including regarding transparency and responsibility.

The sanctions imply that the properties of these three high officials that are in the US will be blocked. OFAC prohibits all transactions carried out by sanctioned persons within the borders of the North American country.

All three have been sanctioned for misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.