LEADING BY EXAMPLE! -Justice Minister designate Declares Assets

MONROVIA: Leading by example, and in keeping with the law and best practice, Liberia’s Justice Minister and Attorney General-designate, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr., has declared his asset even ahead of his confirmation by the Senate.

Declaration of Income, Assets and Liability Acknowledgement Slip of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), in the possession of this paper shows that Cllr. Kruah declared his assets on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, in keeping with the LACC regulations.

The LACC Assets and Liability Acknowledgement Slip reads, “the above named official has filed his assets declaration with the LACC, and the same is stored within the Assets Declaration & Verification Unit of the LACC.”

Signed by Patricia P. Barnaby, Assets Declaration & Verification Officer, with the duly authorized LACC stamp, the document confirms that the incoming Minister of Justice and Attorney General-designate has complied with the law, an exemplary optic for a man who would preside over the law enforcement, justice and security sector of the country.

In line with the laws governing, the LACC, in December, 2023, advised those required to declare assets to visit the its office in Congo Town to pick up the forms, visit the LACC website at www.lacc.gov.lr to download a form, or contact Patricia Barnaby at pbarnaby@lacc.gov.lr or at 0886498725 to collect forms or obtain more information on the declaration process.

The LACC drew the attention of the general public’s attention to the following excerpts culled from the 2022 Amended and Restated Act:

Part V Functions of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission:

Section 5.1

The Commission shall have the broad mandate and functions to implement appropriate measures and undertake programs geared towards investigating, prosecuting, combating, and preventing acts of corruption, including educating the public about the ills of corruption and the benefits of its eradication.

Section 5.2

Without limiting the generality of Section 5.1 above, the Commission shall have the following specific functions:

To institute and operate the asset declaration and verification regime of the Government of Liberia, pursuant to the Code of Conduct Act of 2014.

In performance of this function, the law says the Commission has the authority to:

1. receive and maintain the declaration of income, assets and liabilities submitted by public officials;
2. verify the accuracy of such declarations;

 III. allow or deny access to such declarations upon application to the Commission, subject to the condition that the Commission shall make disclosure of a person’s declaration only where the Commission is satisfied that such disclosure is in the interest of the general public or where such disclosure is mandated or required by a court order;

1. develop asset declaration guidelines and forms;
2. issue rules for the administration of the asset declaration and verification regime as it deems necessary for the effective implementation of this Act and the Code of Conduct Act of 2014;
3. Recommend to the Legislature for enactment into law sanction(s) for breach of the asset declaration guideline.

The LACC then applauded government officials who had complied with its mandate, and encouraged other government officials that have not done so to file a financial asset disclosure as soon as possible.