Lawmakers Demand Full Report on Progress ---Summons Asset Recovery Chairman

In a move aimed at enhancing transparency and public accountability, the House of Representatives has summoned Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, Chairman of the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force, to appear before Plenary on Thursday, May 22, 2025, to deliver a comprehensive report on the operations and achievements of the institution.

The decision was reached during the House’s 2nd Day Sitting of the 2nd Quarter of the 2nd Session of the 55th Legislature on Thursday, May 15, following a communication submitted by Honorable P. Mike Jury, Representative of Maryland County Electoral District number one.

Hon. Jury, in his letter to Plenary, raised concerns over the lack of clear public updates on the task force’s performance since its inception.

He noted that the body was originally constituted under Executive Order number 126 and was renewed on March 5, 2025, via Executive Order number 145 by President Joseph Boakai.

“There seems to be no concrete information on the achievements, operations, and mandates of the institution. It is important for the Liberian people to know what is happening at the Assets Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force. The public deserves to understand the gaps between what goes missing, what is recovered, and what is ultimately returned,” Jury wrote.

The communication sparked debate on the House floor, with several lawmakers echoing Jury’s sentiments and demanding clarity on the assets being tracked, recovered, and redistributed by the task force, which was created to reclaim public properties and funds misappropriated by former officials.

Speaker Fonati Koffa and other senior lawmakers backed the motion, emphasizing that the mandate of the task force should not exist in secrecy, especially when dealing with matters tied to public trust, stolen wealth, and national development.

In recent months, the task force, under Cllr. Martin’s leadership, has operated with limited public disclosures, raising questions from civil society actors and watchdog groups about its methodology, legal scope, due process, and transparency standards.

The Task Force was created by executive authority to identify, trace, and retrieve government properties and illegally acquired wealth, allegedly stolen by officials who served in past administrations.

While there have been sporadic reports of property seizures and investigations, the absence of a consolidated public report has led to speculation, criticism, and growing public curiosity.

Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, who previously served as Chairperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), is expected to face rigorous questioning from lawmakers, who may demand disclosure of high-profile recoveries, the legal basis for actions taken, and a breakdown of assets recovered.

Observers believe his appearance could set the tone for possible legislative reviews or reforms of the task force’s mandate, or even spark calls for permanent institutionalization of an asset recovery framework through statutory law, rather than temporary executive orders.

The pending hearing is seen as a test of the Boakai administration’s commitment to transparency, particularly under its ARREST Agenda, which prioritizes accountability, rule of law, and anti-corruption efforts.

The public and media are expected to keenly follow the session, which could shed light on whether the task force is making meaningful progress or simply operating in bureaucratic obscurity.