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__For doing business with McGill and Twehway
The Political pressure group, ” The Green Revolution Movement of Liberia” has characterized the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) regime as a Criminal Carter organized by immature, visionless and insincere individuals opting to destroy the internal and external relationships of Liberia.
The leadership of the movement headed by their National Chairman, Mr.
Manja Varney G Kromah in his recent release
reminded the international partners and friends about the dangers CDC government continues to post on the images of the country, more especially doing business with the US sanctioned former government officials, Nathaniel McGill and Bill Twehway.
The group defied the just ended CDC primaries in Margibi and Rivercess counties that emerged McGill and Twehway as white ballot senatorial candidates respectively on the CDC ticket for the upcoming October 10 elections.
“We cannot continuously accept this political mercenarism where a presumed civilized government or a political party will continue to market criminals at the detriment of our country. CDC as an established institution built on moral grounds should never be projecting such a character to ever ascend to the helm of power
“The whole world is witness to the fact that in August 2022, the United States of America through its EMBASSY near Monrovia announced sanctions on key officials of the Weah CDC government who as per their records were inherently corrupt there by impeding the development of Liberia. Mr. Nathaniel Falo McGill as minister of states and Mr. Bill Twehway , managing director of the National Port Authority by then we’re among those listed on the sanctioned list.
“Specifically in the US Indictment, Mr. McGill and Twehway were classified as being involved in a play to pay, taking kickback from companies to award them contracts among other things. And the general public was then advised not to do anything with the sanctioned individuals or risk sanction too.
“How then now a reputable institution like CDC will result in defying the most powerful nation on planet earth, The USA by placing these kind of questionable characters like Mr. McGill and Twehway on her tickets? This action by the CDC is a clear indication that such a party should not be given state power again because she has made herself as a conduit and a facilitator of broad day criminality.
“We are calling on the US government to please come to our aid by withholding all support to the national elections commission until all those indicted are excluded from our Election process,” their release explained.
The U.S. Treasury in August 2022 said, the Biden administration has sanctioned three Liberian government officials on accusations of committing corruption for personal gain.
The sanctions target Nathaniel McGill, chief of staff to President George Weah; Sayma Syrenius Cephus, the solicitor general and chief prosecutor of Liberia, and Bill Twehway, the managing director of the National Port Authority.
“Through their corruption these officials have undermined democracy in Liberia for their own personal benefit,” Brian Nelson, under secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial intelligence, said in a statement. “Treasury’s designations today demonstrate that the United States remains committed to holding corrupt actors accountable and to the continued support of the Liberian people.”
All three were hit with asset freezes on accusations of committing corruption in a country where such acts have long undermined its democracy and economy. The sanctions, the Treasury said, was a reaffirmation of the United States to hold corrupt actors accountable, regardless of their position or political position.
McGill was designated on a slew of accusations that he has used his position to enrich himself, including through steering multimillion dollar government contracts to companies he has an ownership stake in.
U.S. officials said he has bribed business owners and accepted bribes from potential investors as well as accepted bribes from government office seekers and misappropriated government assets.
“He has used government funds allocated to other Liberian government institutions to run his own projects, made off-the-books payments in cash to senior government leaders and organized warlords to threaten political rivals,” the Treasury said.
“McGill has received an unjustified stipend from various Liberian government institutions and used his position to prevent his misappropriation from being discovered.”
As the current solicitor general and chief prosecutor of Liberia, Cephus has been accused of developing close relationships with suspects of criminal investigations from whom he has received bribes in exchange for having their cases dropped.
The Treasury said he has worked with money launders for personal financial gain to drop investigations into their work and to shield them from prosecution.
According to the U.S. officials, Cephus has also tried to intimidate other prosecutors in an attempt to have them drop their investigations and has also blocked corruption cases involving members of government.
Twehway has been accused of diverting some $1.5 million in vessel storage fee funds from the National Port Authority, which he oversees, to a private account he controls.
The plan involved Twehway forming a private company that was awarded a National Port Authority contract for loading and unloading cargo.
“All three of these individuals have contributed to Liberia’s worsening corruption,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. “These designations reflect our commitment to implementing the United States Strategy on Countering Corruption and to partnering with the Liberian government and people to help the country chart a better course forward.”