-Cllr. James Verdier reacts to Weah’s asset declaration saga
Cllr. James Verdier
By Jerromie S. Walters
Amid his reported link to the leaked asset declaration of Liberia’s immediate former President George Weah, Cllr. James Verdier, the former Chairmanperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) says he didn’t leak the document to anyone but strongly believes that the architect of said act currently works at the LACC but the Commission is trying to shield something.
He encouraged the Commission to thoroughly probe the matter, as he stated that leakage of sensitive documents at the LACC is not strange. “The kind of investigation they should be doing is to follow up and see who in LACC actually leaked that document and it’s somebody who they are shielding. Somebody in LACC is responsible for that. Somebody who there’s currently and I think what they are doing now is a cover-up.” These comments were made when he (Cllr. Verdier) addressed his involvement in the saga over the weekend.
Cllr. James Verdier believes there has been no investigation and the Commission is shielding and conceding something. “While I was head at LACC, I had to dismiss two persons for leaking documents out of the LACC so that’s not a new thing.”
He’s of the opinion that the Commission obscuring its inability to properly manage public documents. “What I think they are doing, they are hiding their own ineptitude and the lack of security in terms of protecting public documents. I will have no reason to leak asset declaration documents at this point in time.” He confirmed that while leaving, he left all public-related documents at the entity so he doesn’t have access to it.
During her appearance before the plenary of the House of Representatives of the 55th Legislature on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, current LACC Boss Cllr. Alexandria Kormah Zoe disclosed that an internal probe conducted by the LACC surrounding the leaked asset declaration of former President George Weah revealed the involvement of Cllr. James Verdier, after he requested for the asset declarations of five ex-officials of government.
“Upon receipt of the information from the Honorable House, we immediately conducted an investigation. Our investigation, first and foremost, wasn’t guided by the information that is out there because we are not privy to the asset declaration that is out there for us to be able to authenticate it. However, we called on the asset declaration officers currently seated at the LACC, and it was established that indeed, there was an issue of leakage of asset declaration some two to three years ago. Involving the former chairperson. Not Commissioner Martin, but Commissioner Verdier,” she told the lawmakers.
However, Cllr. Verdier disagreed with the current LACC Boss that the leakage occurred when he requested clarification. “That was not a leak, that was an official interaction between officials of the LACC. What the LACC officials are now doing, they are actually conceding somebody within the LACC where that leak came from. Leak at LACC is not strange. LACC needs to conduct a better investigation to find out where that leak actually occurred. Because I never had access to those documents so I couldn’t leak them.”
Cllr. James Verdier, the former Chairmanperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) acknowledged that at he requested about six individuals’ asset declarations for verification purposes, he did not share them with anyone. “I don’t have access to the document. I don’t understand why I will be the person to leak them now when I don’t have access to them. Secondly, I don’t have a motive for leaking any documents. If I had those documents. So I think what they are doing is shielding themselves.”
“If there was anything that I wanted to do malicious, I could have released them while I was at the LACC when it was very important. So it’s two things, I did not do it because that is not in my character [I am an advocate of the law]. Two, I don’t have access to those documents,” Cllr. James Verdier added. He also mentioned that he has not been engaged by the LACC nor the legislature about the matter.
Meanwhile, Cllr. James Verdier believes it is unimaginable for Cllr. Edwin Kla-Martin to claim that he had no knowledge of former president George Weah’s asset declaration. “I find it very convenient for anybody whether he or she is a current Chairperson or former Chairperson to say that he did not know that the President of Liberia at the time had declared his assets. I don’t understand that. How can you be head of an institution, superintending, investigating, and collecting asset declarations and you are unaware that the President of the Republic had declared their asset? I find it very disingenuous.”
In his deliberation while testifying before the House, Cllr. Edwin Kla-Martin, the immediate past Chairperson of the LACC, emphasized that he has absolutely no idea about the former president’s asset declaration. “I have no idea, as the content of the letter has vindicated me. Cllr. Edwin Kla-Martin, whom many accused earlier of being the mastermind behind the leakage of the former President’s asset declaration, was exonerated by the House following Cllr. Zoe’s testimony.
During her appearance before the plenary, current LACC Boss Cllr. Alexandria Kormah Zoe noted that the former Chairperson (Cllr. Verdier) requested the asset declaration for five former government officials including former President George Weah, former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel F. McGill, former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah, and former Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee on February 18, 2019.
Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appointed Cllr. James N. Verdier, Jr., as Executive Chairperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission. His appointment took effect on February 24, 2014. He replaced Cllr. Frances Johnson-Allison.
Following the different deliberations, the House forwarded the matter to its committees on Judiciary and Good Governance, following a motion from Maryland County Representative Anthony Williams. The LACC was instructed to work with the joint committee to ensure an extensive investigation into the matter and a report in two weeks.
