— Speaker Richard Koon, 46 Others Undermines Pres. Boakai’s Anti-corruption Fight
IPNEWS: The year 2025 ended with a significant portion of President Joseph Boakai’s government reportedly found to be non-compliant with mandatory asset declaration requirements, leading to mass suspensions.
On February 12, 2025, President Boakai suspended over 450 high-ranking government officials for failing to declare their assets to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).
The suspensions included cabinet ministers (such as those for Health and Education), deputy and assistant ministers, ambassadors-at-large, and special envoys.
Affected officials were suspended for one month without pay or until they fulfilled the legal requirement to declare their wealth.
Suspended officials were ordered to immediately turn over government property and assets to compliant heads of agencies.
Earlier reports from late 2024 and early 2025 highlighted a widespread “culture of non-compliance” across all branches of government:
Of the 1,281 presidential appointees required to declare, only 322 (approximately 25%) had complied by mid-2024.
In the House of Representatives, only 26 out of 73 lawmakers complied; in the Senate, only 12 out of 30 senators met the requirement.
Compliance was lowest in the judiciary, with only 28 out of 333 required officials (including judges) declaring their assets.
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) is the primary body responsible for enforcing these transparency measures.
Under the 2014 Code of Conduct, public officials must declare their assets within 30 days of appointment, every three years thereafter, and upon leaving office.
The President emphasized that asset declaration is a “fundamental measure” to restore public trust and that non-compliance undermines national efforts to combat corruption.
Civil society organizations, such as CENTAL, have called for these declarations to be verified rather than just filed, to ensure the process effectively tracks illicit wealth.
Shamelessly, Liberia’s lawmakers, who by virtue of the responsibilities bequeathed onto them by the Liberian Constitution to enact laws, are themselves leading the chart for breaking the laws that govern the state, which they swore to uphold.
Assets declaration is an unavoidable legal requirement all government officials, whether in the first, second and third branch of government supposed to abide by, but lawmakers continue to demonstrate unwillingness and a little bit of non-cooperation to the effect.
According to the Liberia Anti-corruption Commission (LACC), 36 of the country’s 73 Representatives are hesitant on declaring their assets as required of them by law.
Section 10.2 of the National Code of Conduct (NCoC) and Section 4.1 (g) of the 2022 amended and restated LACC Act mandate officials of government ( the three branches of Government) to declare their assets.
The amended and restated 2022 LACC Act says that LACC shall issue asset declaration forms to officials of the three branches of government that shall be completed, signed, notarized and filed.
Since assuming office, some members of the 55th Legislature have willingly decided not to comply with the law by declare their assets despite numerous calls by citizens.
Exceptionally, Prior to his removal, former House Speaker CllR. J. Fonati Koffa, made public his assets declaration as part of what he describes as his “unwavering stand for transparency and aversion to corruption and graft.”
The former Speaker declared his assets to the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) on February 19, 2024.
Cllr. Koffa stated that his action is in fulfillment of his commitment to upholding the Constitution and laws of Liberia, in addition to his dedication to fostering a culture of accountability, integrity, and good governance.
Some of those said to be in violation of the asset declaration regime are Richard N. Koon of Montserrado County District 11, a ranking member of the ruling Unity Party who is current House Speaker.
Others who are yet to comply with Assets Declaration legal requirement are reigning Representatives of Montserrado County, including Dixon W. Sebo of District 16, Bernard Blue Benson of District 17, Edward P. Flomo of District 13, Yekeh Y. Kolubah of District 10, Frank Saah Foko, Jr. of District 9, Rev. Samuel R. Enders of District 6 and Michael M. Thomas of district 4.
Also disobeying the Assets Declaration law are lawmakers from Bong County, Prince K. Koinah of District 1, James Kollie of District 2, Marvin J. Cole of District 3, Robert Womba of District 4, Eugene J.M. Kollie of District 5 and Maima Briggs Mensah of District 6.
According to the LACC report, Representatives from Bomi County, including Obediah J. Varney and Bishop Manah Johnson of Districts 1 and 2 are also undermining and breaking the law they supposed to be upholding.
Also refusing to declare their assets are lawmakers from Gbapolu such as Zinnah A. Norman and Mustapha Watitay of District 1 and 3 respectively.
Representatives from Grand Bassa are also part of the fray of not wanting to make known their assets. They include Isaac G. Bannie of District 1, Matthew Joe of District 3 and Thomas A. Goshua of District 5.
Cape Mount Representatives Bindu Massaley, Mohammed Dosii and Sonii Feika Gbessie of Districts 1, 2 and 3 respectively are also violating the law, while Grand County’s Kru Nathaniel N. Bahway, Sr. stands out as the lone non-compliant lawmaker.
For Lofa County, Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah of District 1 is yet to follow what the law says , followed by Julie Fatorma Wiah of District 2, Momo Siafa Kpoto of District 3 and Gizzie K. Kollince of District 4. Roland O. Cooper and Emmanuel Yarh of District one and four of Margibi County are yet to comply, while lawmakers from Nimba County are standing in the way of the law as well.
They include Samuel Brown Sr., Garsaye Nyahn Flomo and Saye S. Mianah of Districts one, two and eight.
The LACC said Alexander Poure of District 1 in River Gee County and Samson Q. Wiah of Sinoe County District two are reneging on the Assets Declaration requirement.
The LACC pronouncement that several lawmakers are recalcitrant about declaring their assets, most Liberians are also expressing their disappointment in the lawmaker’s actions.
They wondered why those who are making the laws of Liberia are the ones violating the very laws they were elected to make.
According to some pundits , lawmakers violating the law must face their wrath in the coming elections.
“We will vote against these lawmakers who are not law abiding. How can those we elect to make our laws be the ones violating our laws,” remarked some of the callers expressing their frustrations.
In keeping with laws, Members of the House of Representatives, Members of the Senate, Secretary of the Senate, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, Comptrollers, Procurement Officers, Departmental Directors, and Project Managers are to comply with the declaration.
But of those required to make known what they have entered government with, only few have made known to the LACC their values they came to government with, the rest have not.
Speaker Richard Koon had reportedly failed to declare his assets as required by Liberian law, drawing criticism from watchdogs like the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and fueling concerns about transparency, with some reports even mentioning potential legal actions for non-compliance.
Reports indicates that Speaker Koon was among several lawmakers who had not complied with the mandatory asset declaration law for public officials in Liberia.
The LACC highlighted his non-compliance in a report, noting it as a violation of the National Code of Conduct.
His refusal to declare assets continues to sparked public outcry and calls for accountability from citizens and watchdog groups.
Failure to declare assets carries penalties, including salary suspension, fines, and potential dismissal, with courts even ordering property seizures in Koon’s case for non-compliance.
In Liberia, asset declaration is a mandatory legal requirement for all public officials, including lawmakers. However, compliance has been a significant issue, with recent reports indicating that a substantial number of lawmakers and other government officials have failed to declare their assets as of late 2024 and mid-2025.
The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and the Office of the Ombudsman have reported widespread non-compliance across all three branches of government.
In one report, only 26 out of 73 members declared their assets, leaving 47 non-compliant. As of a later report, 29 representatives remained non-compliant.
Only 12 out of 30 senators declared their assets, with 18 failing to comply. Later reports indicated 12 senators remained non-compliant.
The Office of the Ombudsman has recommended the immediate suspension without pay of the non-compliant lawmakers, along with some judiciary officials, and also suggested redirecting their salaries to public interest programs until they comply.
In February 2025, President Joseph Boakai suspended over 450 officials in the Executive Branch for failing to declare their assets, demonstrating a strong push for enforcement within his branch.
The President, Vice President, Speaker of the House, and President Pro-Tempore of the Senate have reportedly declared their assets, as has the entire staff of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), which achieved 100% compliance.
Civil society organizations, such as the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), have urged the government to publish the details of the declared assets to allow for public scrutiny and lifestyle audits, a step which has not yet been fully implemented.
The failure to declare assets is a violation of the Liberian National Code of Conduct of 2014, which mandates that public officials involved in decision-making related to contracts, procurement, and licensing must declare their assets upon taking office, every three years thereafter, and upon leaving office. The LACC is the body responsible for receiving and verifying these declarations.
