(Monrovia, Liberia):In a nearly two-hour Annual Address to the 54^th National Legislature Monday, January 27, 2020, the President of the Republic, President George Manneh Weah, renewed his pledge to intensify his administration’s fight against corruption this year and beyond, adding that there “will be no sacred cows”.

President Weah acknowledged that corruption in the Liberian society is pervasive and eating up the very fabric of the nation.

The President disagreed with those who think corruption is an unchangeable way of life in Liberia, stating, “I believe that we will succeed in our fight against corruption and will bring to justice relevant individuals and corporations who continue to defraud Liberia.”

“Additionally, we will continue to show political will in the fight against waste and abuse of our national resources, as we have shown in recent times when a managing director and other high profile officials were dismissed, arrested and sent to court to vindicate themselves from accusations of corruption,” the President noted, vowing further that in his fight against corruption, there will absolutely be no sacred cows as stronger measures will be taken against perpetrators to end this societal menace. 

One surest way the President said his administration will prevail in the anti-corruption war is to introduce new legislation to amend the law creating the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission so that it is given more prosecutorial powers.

He disclosed that “we are working to improve our anti-money-laundering framework”.

In demonstration of his government’s commitment to uncompromisingly fight corruption, the Head of State also said government has hired the expertise of a world-renowned asset recovery firm to assist “our local team to carry out a professional exercise to recover Liberia's wealth stolen over many decades”.