Liberia: Majority Bloc Members On U.S. Govt’s Radar?
The self-styled Majority Bloc, by every indication, has chosen to disregard the US government’s warning not to do business with sanctioned Liberian lawyer, Cllr. Varney Sherman. The Bloc, led by Rep. Richard Nagbe Koon has reportedly been placed under the radar of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States government for doing business with a man who was hooked by economic and political manipulations, a credible U.S source has confirmed.
The source indicated that following Sherman’s threat, as lead lawyer for Koon and Co to impeach members of the Supreme Court majority, OFAC is scrutinizing the actions of members of the self-proclaimed majority group for potential breaches of the 2020 US sanction.
The US sanctions prohibit individuals engaging in certain transactions with the sanctioned individual from facing potential sanctions or enforcement actions. According to reports, OFAC expressed concerns after Cllr. Sherman submitted a petition challenging the Supreme Court’s declaration that deemed the removal of Cllr. Fonati Koffa as the legitimate Speaker of the House of Representatives is unconstitutional.
In his petition, Cllr. Sherman also threatened to impeach the majority justices of the Supreme Court, accusing them of instigating chaos and instability in the country. OFAC’s role is to administer and enforce economic and trade sanctions in alignment with US national security and foreign policy interests.
While the sanctions primarily target US persons, they also address how non-US persons could potentially violate US sanctions, which could include actions taken by the majority bloc.
Implications of Sanctions
As a consequence of these recent developments, any property and interests in property of the sanctioned parties located within the United States or under the control of US persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC.
Furthermore, entities owned directly or indirectly by blocked individuals are also subject to blocking measures. US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the property or interests in property of sanctioned individuals, with few exceptions.
Moreover, individuals or entities involved in transactions with the designated individuals may themselves face sanctions or enforcement actions.
Additionally, foreign financial institutions facilitating significant transactions for the designated persons could potentially be subject to US sanctions unless an exception is applicable.
Sherman, a well-known lawyer, former Liberian senator, and former Chair of the Liberian Senate Judiciary Committee, was implicated in various unethical practices, including offering bribes to judges associated with his 2010 bribery case.
He also reportedly had a conflict of interest with the judge who acquitted him in July 2019. Sherman has allegedly engaged in the practice of paying judges to rule in his favor, and he has been accused of facilitating payments to politicians to support the impeachment of judges who ruled against him, the U. S government said in its designation.
In 2016, Sherman was indicted by the Liberian government, along with several other government officials, for their involvement in a USD 950,000 bribery scheme. In 2019, the presiding judge acquitted all individuals accused of being involved in the bribery scheme. Sherman’s acts of bribery demonstrate a larger pattern of behavior to exercise influence over the Liberian judiciary and the Ministry of Justice.
Sherman is designated as a foreign official who has been complicit in corrupt activities, including misappropriation of state assets, benefiting from private assets, corruption in government contracts, natural resource extraction, or bribery.
By Liberian Observer.
