President Joseph Boakai of Liberia has suspended more than 450 government-appointed officials over failure to declare their assets.
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) identified 457 officials, including the minister overseeing the budget as well as ambassadors, as having not declared what they own before a November deadline, as required by the country’s code of conduct for state officials.
The officials have been “suspended for a period of one month without pay or until they submit the required declarations”, the president’s office said.
Liberian law requires public functionaries to declare their assets when they take up and vacate their positions.
Boakai, elected in November 2023, “remains steadfast in his commitment to good governance, integrity, and the rule of law”, the statement said.
“Failure to comply with asset declaration requirements undermines national efforts to combat corruption and ensure accountability,” it added.
“I think it’s good news”, political analyst Abdullah Kiatamba said. “I hope he maintains the trend, but it is in the best interest of the country”.
According to the NGO Transparency International, Liberia ranks 135th out of 180 countries in its corruption perceptions index.
