Liberian pres suspends hundreds of officials over asset declaration failure

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President Joseph Boakai

Liberian President Joseph Boakai has suspended more than 450 top government officials, including ministers, for failing to declare their assets to the anti-corruption agency.

They will be off work without pay for a month or “until they submit the required declarations”, according to the presidency.

Boakai said that the officials had contravened the code of conduct for state officials by not being transparent about what they own.

The president, who had pledged to fight corruption when he came into office last year, said failure to comply undermined efforts to combat corruption and ensure accountability.

Among those suspended include the ministers for education and health, as well as the special envoys for tourism and investment.

They also include officials working for the Executive Mansion, the official residence of the president, and county administrative officials.

The law requires all public officers to declare their wealth before taking up their posts and when they leave positions in government.

The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) published the list of all the 457 affected public officials, noting it was doing so as prescribed by law.

Boakai, who pledged to fight corruption when he came into office last year, said failure to comply undermined efforts to combat corruption and ensure accountability.

—BBC