By Pewu Y. Sumo
Monrovia, Liberia— The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has announced a significant breakthrough in its anti-corruption efforts today, following a productive meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Richard Nagbe Koon. The engagement, held at the Speaker’s office on Capitol Hill, culminated in key commitments from the legislative leader aimed at bolstering the country’s integrity and accountability framework.
Led by its Executive Director, Anderson D. Miamen, CENTAL’s team secured the Speaker’s pledge to support crucial anti-corruption reforms. This includes a commitment to the audit of the Legislature, the enactment of a law to establish a specialized court for corruption, and greater adherence to the assets declaration regime by members of the House.
The meeting is part of a broader stakeholder engagement under the National Integrity Building and Anti-Corruption Program (NIBA), a CENTAL initiative funded by the government and people of Sweden through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA). The program aims to institutionalize a culture of transparency and accountability within the Liberian government.
Following the meeting, Miamen expressed satisfaction with the outcome, highlighting Speaker Koon’s positive reception of CENTAL’s proposals. The Speaker’s commitment to these reforms is seen as a crucial step toward strengthening Liberia’s fight against corruption. The legislative audit, in particular, has been a key advocacy point for CENTAL and other civil society organizations, as it is viewed as essential for restoring public trust in the Legislature.
Speaker Koon’s commitment to a dedicated Anti-Corruption Court is also a major development. This would address a long-standing challenge in the country’s justice system, which has often been criticized for its slow pace in prosecuting corruption cases. By supporting a bill for a specialized court, the Speaker is signaling a legislative priority that could significantly expedite the judicial process for financial crimes.
Furthermore, the Speaker’s promise to impress upon his colleagues the importance of complying with the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission’s (LACC) asset declaration regime underscores a collective responsibility within the House to uphold the Code of Conduct for public officials. This move is expected to increase compliance and build greater public confidence in government officials.
The successful engagement underscores the importance of civil society-government collaboration in advancing good governance. CENTAL’s ongoing efforts, backed by the SIDA-funded NIBA program, continue to be a driving force in advocating for systemic change and holding leaders accountable for their anti-corruption promises.
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