LIBERIA, SIERRA LEONE PLEDGE JOINT WAR ON CORRUPTION AS AREPT HOSTS ACC COMMISSIONER KAIFALA
BY: Princess Kossigba
MONROVIA, – The Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce of Liberia on Friday hosted Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala for high-level talks aimed at strengthening joint efforts to trace and recover stolen assets across the Mano River basin.
The visit, held at AREPT headquarters on June 12, signals growing cooperation between Monrovia and Freetown as both countries confront transnational corruption and illicit financial flows.
Push for Regional Anti-Corruption Network:
AREPT Chairperson Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin said Kaifala’s engagement is designed to advance Liberia’s inclusion in Africa’s broader anti-corruption framework, particularly within ECOWAS.
“This partnership will support Liberia’s vision of building stronger institutions and achieving meaningful progress in the fight against corruption,” Kla told journalists. He formally welcomed his counterpart and reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to regional collaboration.
Asset Recovery at the Core:
For his part, Commissioner Kaifala stressed that cross-border cooperation is critical if anti-graft agencies are to succeed. “There is no point in fighting corruption if you cannot recover the assets,” he said.
Kaifala noted that initial discussions between AREPT and Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission have already taken place. Both countries, he said, are committed to sharing expertise, intelligence, and technical support to identify, trace, and repatriate funds and properties stolen by public officials.
He described AREPT as a “fast-growing institution” with potential to become a key partner in the network of African anti-corruption agencies.
AREPT’s Mandate:
Under Kla’s leadership, AREPT has focused on identifying properties and finances allegedly misappropriated by current and former officials that rightfully belong to the Liberian people.
The taskforce has positioned itself as a central gateway for asset recovery in Liberia’s post-war accountability efforts.
Both officials agreed that corruption networks operate across borders, and that only coordinated action between neighboring states can effectively dismantle them.