“Liberia Will Fight Money Laundering, other Crimes” -Pres. Boakai Assures GIABA Delegates
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By H. Matthew Turry
MONROVIA – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has stated that Liberia remains fully committed to combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and all related crimes, emphasizing that this commitment is a “national priority rooted in our desire to safeguard the integrity of our financial system, protect our people, and uphold the principles of accountability, transparency, and good governance.”
President Boakai made the call yesterday, Thursday, November 20, 2025 when he officially opened the 44th Plenary Meeting of the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) held at the Farmington Hotel, Margibi County, bringing together regional leaders and experts to fortify the sub-region’s financial systems against illicit flows.
Addressing the GIABA Plenary, President Boakai stated that Liberia is “honored to host this important gathering,” where collective wisdom and determination will converge to fashion a strategy for building a “safer, more transparent, and more resilient West Africa.”
The Liberian leader stressed that the engagement is timely, as threats from money laundering, terrorist financing, organized crime, and illicit financial flows are “more complex and more dynamic than ever.” He noted that these crimes undermine national and regional security, distort financial systems, and obstruct development.
President Boakai confirmed that the Government of Liberia has significantly strengthened its legal and institutional frameworks to align with international best practices.
He highlighted key domestic efforts including improved AML/CFT architecture which entails taking significant steps to enhance coordination among competent authorities and law enforcement agencies, actively working to close historical gaps that weakened the fight against illicit activities, including a “strong fight against the transportation, sale, and possession of illicit drugs” and assuring continued support to the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) of Liberia, describing it as the nation’s “cornerstone” in the fight, ensuring it has the independence, resources, and technology to perform effectively.
President Boakai further assured the GIABA Plenary of Liberia’s unwavering commitment to addressing deficiencies identified during the Second Round of Mutual Evaluation.
He specified the following actionable steps, including, strengthening supervisory frameworks across all reporting sectors, enhancing Beneficial Ownership Transparency, improving inter-agency coordination through the fully functional Inter-Ministerial Committee and Financial Crimes Working Group and ensuring effective investigations, prosecutions, and assets recovery.
“Liberia will continue to cooperate fully with GIABA’s Secretariat, regional member states, and international partners to ensure robust and measurable progress,” President Boakai affirmed, rallying the gathering to “renew our determination to confront emerging threats such as cyber-enabled financial crimes, proliferation financing, and the exploitation of new technologies.”
Also speaking at the program, Ambassador Josephine Nkrumah, ECOWAS Resident Representative in Liberia, underscored the real-world impact of the delegates’ work. “When illicit funds are blocked, criminal networks weaken, corruption slows down, and communities thrive,” she said. She encouraged the body to turn dialogue into action by enhancing risk-based frameworks and leveraging digital tools.
GIABA Executive Director Edwin HARRIS reflected on the organization’s 25-year history, noting how far they have come in working to prevent transnational crimes.
“GIABA has covered a distance to securing regional peace and security… We will remain at the forefront of efforts in addressing these evolving threats through effective coordination, capacity building, and mutual evaluations,” he stated.
In his welcome remarks, Mohammed Nasser, Officer-in-Charge of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) of Liberia, hailed GIABA as a “pillar of coordination, knowledge-sharing, and technical excellence.” He concluded by reaffirming Liberia’s steadfast commitment to the GIABA and Financial Action Task Force frameworks.
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