Monrovia, Liberia – Cllr. Edwin K. Martin, the chairperson of the government’s Asset Recovery and Property Retriever Taskforce (AREPT), assures Liberians of an aggressive crackdown on corruption and public mismanagement, stating that they have solid and uncontested proof against all individuals charged.
“Anyone invited by AREPT clearly indicates that they have strong evidence regarding the person involvement and commission of the crime,” Cllr. Martin stated in an interview conducted in Monrovia on Monday, June 30, 2025.
According to the former chairperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, corruption is an unacceptable public arrangement that continues to erode the foundation of Liberian society, depriving its citizens of essential social services, including infrastructure, healthcare, and education.
Any further invitation from AREPT indicates that we have sufficiently proven the perpetrator’s identity and involvement in the offenses. Since it is still in court, I am unable to go further into the present case involving those officials’ role in the Saudi Arabia rice benevolence. We are unable to discuss the US$2 million claim for fear of undermining the case. I’m limited to talking on the surface. Everything is now sealed, according to Cllr. Martin.
AREPT Chair person stated that they are aware that people may misunderstand and misconstrue their work as witch-hunting, but it is an initial system that President Joseph N. Boakai has developed and are attempting to implement.
He said, he believes there would be many obstacles in the way of completing this goal, but they are grateful to Liberians for supporting and sticking by them.
“We’re going to start an awareness campaign and outdoor advertising to educate Liberians about claim recovery so they can report suspicious assets and items they think belong to the government. All Liberians are included in the campaign. People are supposed to report and keep us informed. In order to combat corruption and illicit properties, we hope that they would make use of our connections,” Cllr. Martin suggested.
He gave an update on the number of cases under investigation, revealing that there are presently 26 active investigations and 40 suspect properties that were obtained unlawfully. According to the AREPT Chairman, “we have identified 40 high-value properties believed to have been acquired through illicit means by former government officials.”
Additionally, Chairman Martin underlined the government’s commitment to combating corruption and promised to hold those responsible for the theft of public funds accountable. “No one will be exempt from accountability,” he noted.
The team is now investigating the purchase of 40 questionable properties and looking into 26 incidents involving the misappropriation of public funds. Chairman Martin issued a warning, saying that any convicted persons who try to leave the country will be hunted down and captured with the help of foreign allies.
“There are presently 26 cases that are pending. Three of those cases have been completed, and the rest are still pending. Forty questionable homes that were purchased with embezzled public funds have been identified. The origins of such properties and their owners are now being assessed. Some individuals will leap in the street if we go into detail about how those properties were obtained. The Liberian people will see the results of our investigation. Liberians will leap into the streets if we also mention the bank accounts we have located and the millions of US dollars that have gone through them. However, we won’t disclose anything until the inquiry and legal procedure are over.”
