Thursday, February 25, 2010
Corruption: Liberia seeks EFCC's assistance

Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja


The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission on Wednesday called for the support of Nigeria's anti-graft body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, in its efforts to fight the menace of corruption in Liberia




http://odili.net/news/source/2010/feb/25/807.html

The appeal was made when a delegation of LACC paid a working visit to the Chairman of the EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri, in Abuja.

The delegation was led by LACC Executive Chairman, Mrs. Frances Johnson Morris.

While receiving the delegation in her office in Abuja, Waziri pointed out that if there was any doubt as to the commission's resolve to do its job, the recent happenings in the banking sector should be a sign of a greater and more determined EFCC.

She said, "For us in EFCC, this year, we have promised and we have begun to show them the signs that we will smoke out many corrupt persons from their comfort zone to face trial while we retrieve from them our common wealth, which they have stolen when we entrusted power into their hands."

She mentioned some of the achievements of the commission to include the conviction of over 80 people and the recovery of lost funds and assets in excess of $3bn in the last 15 months.

She therefore called for an increased partnership and cooperation among law enforcement agencies across Africa, especially West Africa.

Waziri commended Nigerians for their unshaken faith in the work of the EFCC, stressing that more support was needed from other institutions towards the establishment of special courts and the passage of asset forfeiture bill.

Responding, Morris expressed her appreciation to EFCC and Waziri in particular, for the audience granted to her delegation.

"We are here because of the positive reputation of EFCC which even our development partners always cite as example."

Morris, who was a former Chief Justice of Liberia, said her organisation which was barely two years, needed to gather as much information as possible to put LACC in the same pedestal as any other law enforcement agency in the world.

"There is no physical violence now in Liberia but even the peace is being undermined by corruption especially when you consider the poverty and population of our country."