By J.H. Webster Clayeh
Monrovia — Opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Acting Chairman Janga Augustus Kowo has urged ex-officials to resist members of the Assets Recovery Team when their actions are not backed by the court’s order.
On Wednesday, March 27, 2024, the Asset Recovery Team, established by President Boakai through an Executive Order to identify and retrieve stolen government assets as well as assets acquired through acts of corruption, seized a vehicle belonging to the former Inspector General of Police, Col. Patrick Sudue, and several taxis reportedly owned by the former Chief of Protocol of George Weah’s administration, Madam Finda Bundo.
Speaking early Thursday morning on Voice of Liberia Radio Station, the CDC Acting Chairman described the action taken by the Assets Recovery Team over the seizure of a vehicle belonging to former Inspector General of Police, Col. Patrick Sudue, and several taxis with the inscription “Gracious Ride,” believed to be owned by the former Chief of Protocol to former President George Weah, Madam Finda Bundo, as a political process that does not bode well for Liberia.
Mr. Emmanuel Gonquoi, a member of the Asset Recovery Team, told reporters that the team is carrying out investigations on some properties that were bought or acquired using stolen money from the government.
“So, those yellow cars you see, we have some intelligence and we’re using that intelligence to investigate how those vehicles were acquired. We’re not jumping to a conclusion; these vehicles are plying the streets without proper documents. We’re now beginning to see that something might have happened,” Gonquoi said.
Another vehicle impounded by the team was a Toyota Land Cruiser which the former Inspector General of Police, Col. Sudue claimed to have purchased from the General Services Agency in line with its policy on depreciated vehicles.
According to the Deputy Director-General of the GSA, Mr. Robert Wilson, the vehicle belongs to the Liberia National Police. He said the Asset Recovery Team would carry out its investigation to ascertain the condition of the vehicle vis-à-vis the amount for which it was purchased from the GSA and if it was acquired through the right procedure.
Said Wilson: “According to Patrick Sudue, he bought the car using the GSA process, we saw it, we’ll verify. It is a fact that you can purchase any asset from GSA… This car, they’ll evaluate it as GSA based on how much it was purchased, if the investigation shows that we can reclaim it, we’ll reclaim it and turn it over to the government. If the investigation shows that the process used was dubious and the money paid in government revenue was too insignificant compared to the condition of the car, we’ll reimburse and take the car back.”
Wilson said the Asset Recovery Team would leave no stone unturned in retrieving government’s assets, irrespective of who may be in possession of them.
“Even people connected to the President will not be allowed to carry any vehicle that was acquired illegally or stolen from any ministry or agency, we’ll not allow that. We have put our lives on the line to ensure that we do things differently. If nobody would do things differently, Wilson who is the Deputy Director-General for Operations and in the asset recovery team will ensure that I do things differently,” Wilson said.
CDC Acting Chairman, speaking early Thursday morning during a radio presentation, urged ex-officials to use force and resist the Assets Recovery Team when their actions are not backed by the laws of Liberia.
“If the government is taking the law into its own hands by harassing private citizens, it is very dangerous. If they are doing things without going to court, if they get in the streets without a court order and they harass people, the people have the right to self-defense” – CDC Acting Chairman Kowo said.
He added: “The government does not have the right to see people’s property and seize it. There are processes laid down in the country. If you have the situation where citizens must be evoking the self-defense right against the government, you can imagine that you (government) are trying to incite chaos and we are saying that the government is the author of that chaos.”
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According to the CDC Acting Chairman, the taxis that are believed to be owned by the former Chief of Protocol of George Weah’s administration, Madam Bundo, are operating legally. He urged the team to go to court and produce their evidence before making any arrest.
“I saw some yellow taxis. Those taxis belong to private individuals and those taxis were registered and issued licenses by the government of Liberia, and we see the Assets Recovery Team without a court order take those taxis to GSA. That is shameful, that is reckless, and it is unacceptable. They should desist from that because if you think a taxi belong to the government, you must go to court and adduce your evidence in court and the court will send an order to arrest it but if the government is taking the law into its own hands and harassing private citizens – it’s very bad,” Kowo said.
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