Despite its rough start, President Boakai has given the Assets Recovery Task Force another one-year mandate by issuing Executive Order No 145, extending Executive Order No 126.
By: Kruah Thompson
Monrovia, Liberia – March 7, 2025 – In an effort to strengthen the fight against corruption and reclaim public assets, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr.. has issued Executive Order No. 145, extending the mandate of the Asset Recovery Task Force for another year.
The new order amends Executive Order No. 126, which initially established the Task Force in March 2024 to identify, trace, and recover government assets allegedly misappropriated by former officials.
However, its operations were hindered by a prolonged legal battle with Gracious Ride Incorporated, which began in March 2024. The Task Force seized several vehicles belonging to the company, alleging that they were fraudulently acquired by a former government official.
After nearly a year of legal proceedings, the Supreme Court of Liberia ruled in favor of the Asset Recovery Task Force on February 18, 2025, clearing the way for its work to continue. However, the Task Force’s mandate expired in March 2025, as it was initially authorized for only one year. This legal dispute significantly hindered the Task Force’s efforts to investigate other cases.
On February 20, 2025, The Chairman of the Assets Recovery & Property Retrieval Team (AREPT), Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin told NewDawn that, during their legal battle with Gracious Ride, they were able to verify and seize 17 high-profile cases involving theft of public assets, acquisition of suspicious properties, embezzlement through fake road construction companies and fraudulent construction firms, and theft of liquid assets.
He further disclosed that during the nine-month stay order imposed on AREPT by the Supreme Court, individuals of interest, acting under the cover of darkness, criminally transferred suspicious funds from their accounts, changed bank accounts, illegally transported Government of Liberia (GoL) vehicles to neighboring countries and sold them, resprayed and altered the original identities of GoL vehicles, changed title deeds overnight, and falsified documents to conceal the original identities of GoL assets.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information Culture Affairs and Tourism MICAT regular press briefing on Thursday, March 6, 2025, Deputy Information Minister for Press and Public Affairs, Daniel O. Sanoe, announced that the Task Force’s mandate has been renewed for an additional year to continue pursuing those unresolved cases, and to ensure that all public assets unlawfully converted for private use are retrieved and reinstated.
“This Executive Order reinforces the Government’s commitment to combating corruption, ensuring accountability, and recovering assets wrongfully acquired by both former and current government officials,” Sanoe stated.
He further disclosed that a five-member committee will oversee the Task Force’s operations. The committee will be chaired by Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, with Dr. Ranney B. Jackson serving as Vice Chairman. Other members include John Mulbah Gbilee, Crosby Johnson, and Atty. Suzanne A. Johnson.
“The Task Force will function under the Office of the Minister of State for Special Services and collaborate with key government agencies, including the Ministry of Justice, Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, Office of the Ombudsman, General Services Agency, Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), and the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA). Their collective efforts will focus on investigating, prosecuting, and recovering stolen assets, both within Liberia and internationally.”
Additionally, he added that the Task Force has been empowered to impose travel restrictions on individuals under investigation and work with Interpol and other diplomatic partners to repatriate suspects and recover stolen assets taken across the borders.
To ensure the smooth implementation of its renewed mandate, President Boakai has directed the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to allocate funds immediately for the Task Force’s operations.
“This decision underscores the President’s zero-tolerance policy on corruption and the misuse of public resources,” Sanoe emphasized. “Public assets must be safeguarded and returned to serve the interests of the Liberian people.”
President Boakai has called on law enforcement agencies, government stakeholders, and international partners to support the Asset Recovery Task Force in its mission to uphold transparency, justice, and the rule of law. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
