Independent investigation conducted by a team of an investigative reporters revealed that the recent court order from the 2nd Judiciary Circuit Court in Grand Bassa County, instructing the management of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to allow Renaissance Group Inc. export illegal harvested logs confiscated by FDA, is in complete violation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between Liberia and the European Union (EU).
The Government of Liberia is committed to the sustainable management of its natural resources which includes improving its forest governance and ensuring the legal production of timber and timber products. To this extent, and in order to ensure that only legally produced timber and derived timber products are exported from Liberia, the government entered into agreement with European Union.
In 2013, Liberia entered into the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with the European Union (EU). This aims ultimately to ensure that only legally produced timber and timber products are exported from Liberia to the EU. Elements of this agreement include a timber chain of custody system that incorporates controls aimed at ensuring that timber harvesting is carried out in compliance with Liberia’s laws, and that revenues due to the government are paid before timber products are allowed to be exported. It also provides for regular checks by an Independent Auditor (IA) to ensure that the system is working as intended.
The Liberia-EU VPA provided for the development of Timber Legality Assurance System (TLAS) to provide the necessary assurances of the legality of Liberian timber. The TLAS is based on Liberian legal requirements pertaining to timber operators and the legal production of timber and timber products in Liberia.
The Independent Panel’s Forensic Investigation into Irregularities in Operations of Timber Sales Contract A2, in Grand Bassa County report established that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that illegal logging was done on a significant scale by the Renaissance Group Inc. in 2018 in an area adjacent to the TSC A2 Resource Area.
In accordance with the provisions of the 2006 National Forest Reform Law, an appropriate fine of US$105,000 was imposed on Renaissance Group Inc. by FDA for the offense of illegal logging.
Renaissance Group Inc. CEO Aaron George admitted to the Panel, a report of which a copy is in our possession that his company illegally harvested from outside of the TSC A2 Resource Area. He furthered told the Independent Panel’s Forensic Investigative team that he was not aware of the demarcation between the Resource Area and the surrounding forest landscape. He informed the Panel that, even though FDA disapproved his request to engage in roadside felling, his company still cut logs along the roadside in complete violation of the law. He also confirmed the payment of the two separate fines in the amounts of US$5,000 and US$100,000 respectively for said violation.
The report also states that the citizens of Doe Clan, Grand Bassa County are to be told in no uncertain terms that their forest is not a concession area and is not an authorized community forest and therefore, cannot be used for logging activities by any logging company.
The Renaissance Group Inc. sued FDA at the 2nd Judiciary Circuit court for confiscating its illegal harvested logs and also pleaded with the court to restore its rights to operate in Grand Bassa County. Renaissance Group Inc. won the case against FDA and the court has since instructed FDA to set up a joint team comprising of FDA, the Ministry of Justice, Renaissance Group Inc. and the court sheriff to visit the log field and do an appraisal and inventory on the confiscated logs.
According to the investigation, the refusal of FDA not to implement the court ruling by allowing Renaissance Group Inc. to export the confiscated logs and also granting them rights to operate in the TSC A2 area is in the best interest of the country. The investigation however revealed that FDA actions not to implement the court ruling are in compliance with the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) entered into with European Union (EU). This partnership agreement according to our investigation, places Liberia on path with international best standard in the management of the country’s forest and can be used as a platform to further enhance cooperation in promoting forest governance.