Monrovia – A major straw that broke the Coalition of Democratic Change’s six- year rule was pervasive corruption. Liberians voiced their frustrations by voting in the Unity Party presidential candidate, Joseph Boakai, during the 2023 presidential election. Boakai promised to fight corruption, inclusive government, establish a war crimes court, and fix the economy.
By Selma Lomax [email protected] Nine months into the six-year tenure of Boakai’s presidency, corruption remains intractable. Boakai’s anti-corruption fight rests on a tripod: initiating audits of three crucial government institutions, including the central bank, and auditing officials of the former administration. These actions have received commendations from the public.
However, issues like the politicization of the anti-corruption fight and Boakai’s apparent refusal to investigate officials accused of corruption have cast doubt on the fight. JNB’s anti-graft fight vs accused officials Party politics appears to be shielding the prosecution of people loyal to those in power. The controversial purchase of a US$96,000 vehicle for Commerce Minister Amin Modad has drawn ire.
The funds for the purchase were drawn from the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) Customs Capacity Building Fund, under the Destination Inspection (DI) Contract with MEDTECH Scientific Limited (MTS), meant to support trade-related activities of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) in collaboration with Customs. Modad’s acceptanc.
