The Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), Anderson Miamen, has warned the Joseph Boakai administration of selective accountability, which he said will further undermine the already inconsistent anti-corruption efforts; as such, he wants President Boakai to dismiss the Inspector General for Commerce, Dorr Cooper, for his fraudulent academic activities at the University of Liberia.
Miamen accused President Boakai of being inconsistent with his actions against his officials. He recalled that several months back, President Boakai protected the Commissioner of the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA), Abdullai Kamara, and for months now it is Dorr Cooper he is shielding or protecting.
“You suspended the former Central Bank Governor, Alloysius Tarlue, and later paid him nearly half a million USD. Only God knows what suddenly changed his suspension for alleged corruption to settling him months later, when your government should be investigating and prosecuting him. You are fast to act when the issues involve Weah’s remaining officials or those who don’t seem very close to you. This is a worrying sign. This is not the kind of corruption fight you promised. It contradicts your commitment and some of your positive moves,” Miamen tells President Boakai.
“If you did not trust the old president of the University of Liberia (Dr. Sarwolo Nelson) to take his report and recommendations seriously, your own appointed new president has reaffirmed the position of the previous leadership, that your appointee, who seems to be very close to you for reasons best known to you and your allies, is academically corrupt and fraudulent. Imagine the University of Liberia dismissing people who helped this man to execute his bad plan, yet you still have faith in him to play an accountability and integrity-related function in your government. This is very sad. This is highly contradictory,” the CENTAL boss observed.
“In short, you are setting a very bad example to students who are being told to study hard and use the right channels and processes to enter, stay, and complete school. You are telling them that it is good to steal and cheat in school and other places. You are even telling your other officials that it is good for them to steal and cheat as well. Again, this contradicts your commitment to transparently and impartially tackle corruption, fraud, and abuse in government and the society, more broadly,” he added.
Miamen reiterated his call for President Boakai to dismiss Dorr Cooper now, as his continued presence in government is sending a different message to partners and the public about the holistic nature of the government’s corruption fight and overall accountability efforts.