MONROVIA – The administration of President Joseph Boakai began with a controversial move that violated laws protecting tenure positions. Disregarding the acts establishing various tenured roles, President Boakai initiated the removal of the Chairperson and commissioners of the Liberia Telecom Authority (LTA) and the Governance Commission. After an initial ruling from the Supreme Court reversed his decision to appoint new officials to replace those still within their tenure, the regime moved forward with initiating audits at various autonomous agencies, subsequently suspending the officials based on the preliminary findings of these audits.
By Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
President Boakai’s decision to suspend these officials is still under review by the Supreme Court. Nevertheless, the President on Tuesday made another contentious move by suspending the Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia, based on an audit covering the period from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2023. The report highlighted financial irregularities and compliance issues at the Central Bank under Governor Aloysius Tarlue’s watch.
Following Governor Tarlue’s suspension, President Boakai appointed Mr. Henry Saamoi, who had long been rumored as Tarlue’s replacement, as Acting Governor. This suspension has raised eyebrows, as the Act establishing the Central Bank provides no provision for the suspension of the Governor. According to the Act, the Executive Governor and other Governors of the Bank can only be removed from office by the Senate upon a bill of impeachment by the House of Representatives for specific reasons, including gross breach of duty, misconduct in office, conviction of a felony, and other serious issues.
Prior to the audit of the Central Bank, there were unconfirmed reports that President Boakai had asked Tarlue to resign to enable the appointment of a new Executive Governor of his choice. Tarlue, who was appointed by former President George Weah in November 2019, has remained silent since his suspension. His tenure is set to expire in 2025, and it remains unclear whether he will take legal action against his suspension, which legal experts assert is contrary to the law.
In April, Governor Tarlue was barred from attending this year’s World Bank Spring Meeting due to a request from President Boakai that he remain in Liberia to assist with the ongoing IMF-approved forensic audit of the Bank. The President’s directive followed a request from Tarlue seeking approval for travel alongside Mr. James B. Dennis, a Board member, Madam Nyemadi Pearson, Deputy Governor for Operations, and Mr. Musa Dukuly, Deputy Governor for Economic Policy. “The President has given approval for members of the delegation, but given the ongoing forensic audit endorsed by the International Monetary Fund and the Government audit commissioned by the General Auditing Commission at the Central Bank, the President directs that you stay in the country,” stated the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Sylvester Grigsby, in a communication to the Governor.
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