The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has conducted a consultative meeting with essential partners, including the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), Liberia Business Registry (LBR), among others, to commence the Asset Declaration Verification Process. According to a statement from the LACC, dated November 19, 2024, the meeting’s objective is to strengthen inter-agency collaboration and ensure transparency and accountability in public service. LACC Acting Executive Director, James K. Kingsley highlighted the importance of a unified approach, emphasizing that “accurate verification of declared assets requires cooperation among institutions to enhance public trust.” Providing an overview of the initiative, Vivian S. Akoto, Executive Assistant and Program Manager to the Office of the Executive Chairperson of the LACC, announced that the process will target 175 public officials from both past and present administrations. She added: “This process is critical to fostering integrity in public service. Discrepancies found during verification will be publicly disclosed, and any false declarations will be turned over to the Monitoring and Investigation Department for further action”. Madam Akoto also confirmed that the verification exercise will run from November 25, 2024, to January 31, 2025, disclosing that the LACC will bankroll the process initially through the Government of Liberia. The meeting encouraged inputs from key partners who pledged their support to the initiative. For his part, Sumo Kalaplee, Assistant Commissioner for the Professional Ethics Division at the LRA, commended the LACC for the initiative and shared LRA’s ongoing efforts to enhance accountability within the institution. “We have implemented policies requiring all employees to declare their assets and will appreciate that our declarations are verified by the LACC” he noted. According to him, collaborative efforts will include financial reviews, validation of property and business ownership, and cross-referencing of records with relevant agencies, such as the Liberia Land Authority and the Ministry of Transport. The verification process intends to involve a thorough review of asset declarations, cross-checking information with records from partner institutions, conducting field assessments, and analyzing financial activities. LACC’s dispatch further noted that findings will be documented, and any violations will be addressed in accordance with the New LACC Act of 2022. LINA
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