Friday, February 2, 2024 – Monrovia, Liberia – The Body of Commissioners of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) on Thursday, paid a courtesy and acquaintance visit to the President Pro Temp of the Liberian Senate.
At the meeting, the Executive Chairperson of the LACC, Cllr. Alexandra Zoe congratulated Sen. Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence on behalf of the Body of Commissioners on her election as President Pro Tempore.
Cllr. Zoe informed Sen. Karnga-Lawrence that the visit was to formally introduce the Body of Commissioners to her and to brief her on matters at the LACC. She explained that the LACC is in the process of requesting incoming public officials to declare their assets. She also thanked the Pro Tempore for leading the charge and called on her to encourage her colleagues to follow in her footsteps and declare their assets with the LACC.
The LACC boss noted that she will make available staff(s) from the LACC’s Asset Declaration office to assist members of the Senate who will need guidance in filling out the forms as the need arises.
Cllr. Zoe informed the Pro Tempore that the New LACC Act empowers the LACC to issue rules for the administration of the asset declaration and verification regime as well as recommend to the Legislature for enactment into law sanction(s) for breach of asset declaration guidelines, and as such, guidelines are now being drawn up for submission to the Senate for approval. She added that there is also the bill for the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Court before the Senate and asked the Pro Tempore to use her influence to present the bill to the Senate for passage into law.
In response, Sen. Karnga-Lawrence welcomed the LACC Body of Commissioners to the Senate and informed them that senators have already begun to declare their assets. She noted that four senators including herself have already declared.
She also welcomed the suggestion proffered by Cllr. Zoe to have an asset declaration staff come to the Capitol Building and assist the senators with the process. She said Senator J. Gbleh-Bo Brown of Maryland County, Chairman of the Rules and Order Committee and the Co-Chairman, Senator Johnathan Sogbie will serve as focal persons in this regard.
The Senate Pro Tempore acknowledged that there are backlogged bills that are still in Committee Rooms and she will ensure that the bill for the Establishment of an Anti-Corruption Court will be brought on the floor. She then asked the Body of Commissioners to supply her office with an outline of outstanding bills and other significant issues relating to the LACC that the Senate needs to act on.
Sen. Karnga-Lawrence encouraged the Commissioners to put together a working agenda for approval by the leadership of the Senate on ways in which the Senate and the LACC can join forces in the fight against corruption.
The Body of Commissioners that attended the meeting included the Executive Chairperson, Cllr. Alexandra Zoe; The Executive Vice Chairperson, Mr. Ernest Hughes, Cllr. David A. B. Wilson and Cllr. Oretha Synder-Davis, Commissioners with oversight on Prosecution and Mr. Rudolph Tebbs and Mr. Sam Dakana, Commissioners with oversight on Monitoring and Investigation. Senators J. Gbleh-Bo Brown and Amara Konneh of Gbarpolu County formed part of the meeting.