The American government has pledged its support to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) in the fight against Corruption in Liberia.
The American Ambassador accredited to Liberia, Michael McCarthy, made the statement yesterday when he paid a courtesy call on the Executive Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, and senior officials of the Commission.
Ambassador McCarthy said the American government will support the LACC in capacity building and training in money laundering.
Speaking on behalf of the LACC, the Executive Chairperson, Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, assured the American Ambassador of his desire to see a clean government that is free of acts of corruption.
Cllr. Martin promised to continue the public arrest of public officials and private individuals who violate national trust.
The LACC boss said the Commission will continue to be robust in the fight against corruption in Liberia.
The Executive Chairperson emphasized that the Commission will continue major public arrest, prosecution and conviction of alleged corruption perpetrators.
Cllr. Martin told the American Ambassador that the concurrence by the Liberia Senate on the passage of the bill to make LACC independent will give the Commission power to prosecute.
The Executive Chairperson said he wants to see issues of the statute of limitation removed on issues of corruption. The country’s anti-graft chief said the statute of limitation has hampered the desire of the Commission to look into cases dating back several years. The Chairperson promised to sit with the National Legislature to repeal that portion of national laws that speak to statute of limitation that restrain prosecution after 5 years in economic crime cases.
The statute of limitation says that corruption perpetrators will not be held liable for corruption after five years without any indictment.
Chairman Martin said he and his team at the LACC have divided the country into five blocks as part of its decentralization of the Commission into various counties in Liberia.
In closing, he welcomed the Ambassador for his courtesy call on the Commission.