By Mulbah K. Morlu, Jr. (Civil Rights Advocate and Chairman, STAND)
Liberia stands on the edge of a dangerous precipice. President Joseph Boakai’s administration has launched a high-profile war on corruption; an initiative long overdue in a nation suffocated by decades of graft and abuse.
But behind the loud proclamations and public fanfare, a darker reality is unfolding: what should be a noble pursuit of justice is rapidly devolving into a political weapon—used not to uphold the law, but to punish opponents, protect loyalists, and trample the very constitutional principles it claims to defend.
Let it be unequivocally stated: no patriotic Liberian opposes a genuine, lawful effort to combat corruption. But when that fight descends into media spectacle, unlawful detentions, politically motivated suspensions, and selective prosecutions, it no longer serves justice—it weaponizes it.
What should be a unifying national effort to uphold accountability now risks spiraling into a dangerous campaign of retribution that undermines the rule of law and threatens democratic stability.
Lawlessness at the Top: A Crisis of Credibility
At the core of this unfolding crisis is a damning contradiction: President Joseph Boakai cannot credibly champion an anti-corruption crusade while his own administration brazenly disregards the Constitution. A government that violates the law at the highest level forfeits the moral authority to demand accountability from anyone else.
If President Boakai wants to be believed—and taken seriously—as a leader committed to fighting corruption, he must first choose to be a rule-of-law president, not the law-breaker-in-chief he has become.
Under the direct watch of President Boakai, we have witnessed a staggering pattern of constitutional violations that betray the very essence of democratic governance:
- A blatant breach of procurement law: Over $22 million in road construction equipment was acquired without legislative appropriation or competitive bidding—an outright violation of the Public Procurement and Concessions Act.
- An illegal oil bloc giveaway: Four lucrative oil blocks were unilaterally allocated through NOCAL, bypassing the National Legislature entirely. When questioned, the President dismissed constitutional procedure as a mere “waste of time”—an astonishing confession of contempt for the rule of law.
- An assault on tenure protections: Statutorily protected officials have been arbitrarily suspended or removed without cause or due process—only to be prematurely replaced, plunging public institutions into legal limbo and constitutional chaos.
- Defiance of the Supreme Court: Most egregiously, the President has refused to honor the Supreme Court’s final ruling in the Fonati Koffa leadership dispute—setting a lawless precedent that undermines the judiciary’s independence and weakens the separation of powers.
This is not reform. This is executive delinquency. It is the weaponization of state power to achieve political ends while desecrating the very Constitution the President swore to uphold.
While the Boakai administration aggressively pursues former officials, it turns a blind eye to one of the most egregious and brazen acts of constitutional abuse and economic corruption in recent memory—unfolding not in secret, but in full view of the public and the press.
In a shameless display of impunity, the disgraced and lawless Speaker of the House, aided by senior government operatives, orchestrated the illegal ousting of former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. This political coup was allegedly financed with millions in taxpayer funds, diverted to buy loyalty, silence dissent, and trample parliamentary procedure.
The evidence of this misconduct is not speculative—it’s prima facie, and yet, the Asset Recovery Taskforce remains silent. It looks the other way, choosing to fixate exclusively on former regime officials while ignoring rot festering in the very core of the current administration.
If this isn’t selective justice, then what is? This is not a war on corruption—it’s a war through corruption, prosecuted by those who see the law not as a standard, but as a weapon.
These are not bureaucratic blunders. They are deliberate acts of lawbreaking by the very individuals who now claim to be champions of integrity. How can one wage a war on corruption while simultaneously undermining the very legal institutions meant to enforce accountability?
A Compromised Commander in the Anti-Corruption Campaign
Equally troubling is the appointment of Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin to lead the Asset Recovery Taskforce—a figure whose tenure at the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) was overshadowed by allegations of misconduct, lack of transparency, and widespread internal opposition.
Martin stands accused (by his own former colleagues) of:
- Leasing public property without board approval,
- Blocking internal audits,
- Withholding vital financial information,
- Intimidating staff, and
- Politicizing the LACC for personal gain.
In a blistering resignation letter, former LACC Executive Director Atty. Kaihenneh Keita described Martin’s leadership as despotic, stating he “ran the LACC like his personal estate.” Other whistleblowers resigned in protest (many of whom have now exited the Asset Recovery Taskforce as well) citing the same toxic leadership and ethical unfitness.
How can a man who stands accused of corruption be tasked with recovering stolen assets? The principle of equity demands clean hands. If President Boakai is serious about restoring credibility, Cllr. Martin must step aside—or be removed—and subjected to an independent investigation.
Selective Justice Is Not Justice—It Is Vengeance
Liberians are watching as past officials are hauled before cameras while current government actors implicated in graft are quietly dismissed without consequence. Where is the transparency? Where is the accountability for those who enjoy proximity to power?
When justice is weaponized for political gain, it ceases to be justice at all. The Boakai administration’s lopsided prosecutions expose this campaign as more about score-settling than genuine assets recovery efforts.
A Breach of International Obligations
Liberia is not acting in a vacuum. We are signatories to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These treaties bind us to due process, impartiality, and the rule of law.
Yet today, arbitrary arrests, unconstitutional executive actions, and a disregard for judicial rulings have become commonplace. The international community—ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations, and Liberia’s key bilateral partners—must not remain silent as these violations unfold under the banner of reform.
A True War on Corruption Requires Leadership by Example
No administration can successfully battle corruption while operating with impunity at the highest levels. The fight must begin at the top. It must be nonpartisan, transparent, and legally sound.
Therefore, it is prudent to call for the following immediate actions:
- An independent review of the Asset Recovery Taskforce and its operations.
- The recusal or dismissal of Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, pending the outcome of a thorough investigation.
- Equal enforcement of the law against both current and former officials.
- Full compliance with Liberia’s Constitution and international legal obligations.
Conclusion: The Choice Before Us
Liberia stands at a defining crossroads. We can either descend further into a dangerous cycle of selective justice masked as reform, or we can chart a bold new course—one anchored in constitutional integrity, where the rule of law reigns supreme and no individual, not even the President, stands above it.
