MONROVIA – Public confidence in anti-corruption efforts depends upon distinguishing legitimate private wealth from illicit enrichment acquired through abuse of public office. As scrutiny of public officials intensifies, governance advocates increasingly caution that accountability mechanisms must remain evidence-driven rather than politically motivated. The Civil Society Network of Liberia argues that public discourse has recently blurred this distinction by targeting individuals who accumulated assets before entering government service. While reaffirming support for investigations wherever credible evidence exists, the organization contends that honest entrepreneurship should not become grounds for public condemnation. Its latest statement, centered on public official Julius Sele, therefore raises broader questions about balancing transparency, asset verification, constitutional property rights and the protection of reputations within Liberia’s evolving anti-corruption framework. THE ANALYST reports.
The Civil Society Network of Liberia (CSNL) has defended public officials who accumulated legitimate private investments before entering government service, warning against what it described as a growing pattern of blackmail, character assassination and politically motivated attacks targeting individuals without credible evidence of corruption.
In a statement issued Thursday, the pro-democracy organization specifically cited public official Julius Sele as an example of an individual whose private investments predated his appointment to public office, arguing that such lawful business achievements should be encouraged rather than portrayed as evidence of corruption.
According to CSNL, recent public discourse has become saturated with misleading narratives intended to demonize Liberians who invested their legitimately earned resources in businesses and real estate before accepting government appointments.
The organization condemned what it described as an increasingly dangerous trend capable of discouraging entrepreneurship, investment and public service.
Investment Is Not Corruption
CSNL stressed that the Liberian Constitution guarantees every citizen—including public officials—the right to own property, establish businesses and contribute to national economic development.
The organization argued that portraying every government official who owns a business or residential property as corrupt, without supporting evidence, is both dishonest and counterproductive to Liberia’s development agenda.
“Investment is not corruption,” the statement declared.
CSNL further emphasized that public discussions concerning corruption must remain grounded in verifiable evidence rather than envy, politics or personal attacks.
It maintained that where credible evidence establishes illicit enrichment, conflict of interest or abuse of office, those responsible should be investigated and prosecuted.
“Where there is evidence of illicit enrichment, conflict of interest, or abuse of office, CSNL will be the first to call for investigation and prosecution,” the organization stated.
However, it argued that individuals who accumulated wealth through years of legitimate private-sector employment before entering government deserve recognition rather than harassment.
Highlights Sele’s Career
In support of its position, CSNL outlined what it described as Julius Sele’s extensive professional record before joining government.
According to the organization, Sele accumulated more than 14 years of experience with Africare-Liberia, a United States-based international organization, where he served as Project Manager overseeing several donor-funded initiatives, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Agriculture Sector Rehabilitation Project and the African Development Bank-funded Emergency Assistance Project to Avert Caterpillar Infestation of 2009.
The organization further noted that Sele served as a development consultant engaged by a consortium of ecumenical organizations to restructure the YMCA and several Liberian non-governmental organizations.
According to CSNL, he also coordinated a major United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) appropriation supporting the Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) program between 2003 and 2006, from which more than 6,000 former combatantsreportedly benefited.
CSNL’s review further traced Sele’s career to 1997, when he joined the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) as a chauffeur before progressing through successive promotions to Assistant Project Manager, Project Manager and eventually Interim Country Representative in 2001.
The organization described his professional advancement as evidence of dedication, competence and years of legitimate employment before entering public service.
Public Service Record
CSNL also highlighted Sele’s subsequent appointments within government institutions.
According to the statement, Sele possessed a valid contractual engagement with the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) extending beyond 2018–2020, but was later replaced during the administration of former President George Weah.
The organization stated that Sele subsequently emerged through a competitive recruitment process as the first Executive Director of the Rubber Development Fund Incorporated (RDFI), established under the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
CSNL said Sele coordinated implementation of Liberia’s Rubber Sector Development Master Plan in collaboration with major industry stakeholders, including Firestone Liberia, Liberia Agricultural Company (LAC), Cavalla Rubber Corporation, Salala Rubber Corporation, and the Nimba Rubber Planters Association of Liberia.
According to the statement, his six-year leadership at RDFI contributed to the cultivation of approximately 200,000 acres of high-yield rubber clones with maturity periods ranging between four and six years.
Calls For Fairness
The organization further maintained that Sele’s real estate investments were financed through earnings accumulated during years of private-sector employment, noting that several international organizations—including the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT), OXFAM, Médecins du Monde, ActionAid, Monrovia Oil Company, and even the late Agriculture Minister Florence Chenoweth—had previously leased his properties. It stated that available lease records reflected annual rental payments of approximately US$24,000 before the departure of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL).
CSNL urged the media, political actors and integrity institutions to distinguish between legitimately acquired pre-service investments declared under Liberia’s Asset Declaration Law and unexplained wealth accumulated while holding public office.
While commending public officials who established lawful businesses before entering government, the organization cautioned them to continue serving with honesty, integrity and accountability.
It concluded by reaffirming its commitment to exposing genuine corruption while opposing what it described as false narratives and witch-hunts capable of undermining private investment, economic growth and public confidence in Liberia’s governance system.