US Department of State Imposes Visa Restrictions on Three Liberian Officials, their Wives, and Minor Kids under Section 7031
The U.S. Department of Treasury has placed visa ban on Senators Albert Chie and Emmanuel Nuquay and Minister of Finance and Development Planning Samuel Tweah because of their alleged involvement in corruption.
The restrictions also affect their spouses and minor kids of the officials.
Albert Chie is the current Senate Protempt and Senator-Elect of Grand Kru County, Emmanuel Nuquay is currently Margibi County Senator and former Speaker while Samuel Tweah is the current Minister of Finance and Development Planning.
“Pursuant to Section 7031(c), the United States is publicly designating Tweah, Chie, and Nuquay, for their involvement in significant corruption by abusing their public positions through soliciting, accepting, and offering bribes to manipulate legislative processes and public funding, including legislative reporting and mining sector activity. As part of this action, their immediate family members are also designated, including their spouses Delecia Berry Tweah, Abigail Chie, and Ruthtoria Brown Nuquay, and Tweah and Nuquay’s minor children”; the State Department published on December 11, 2023, on the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day and the opening of the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption.
The State Department’s publication fell short of detailing the infractions that led to such a ban and the corresponding intricacies that harmed the Liberian people.
But let’s delve into what such means.
The Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023 (Div. K, P.L. 117-328) contains a noteworthy section 7031© that deals with human rights violations and corruption. This is a thorough explanation:
Overview
According to Section 7031©, foreign government officials and their immediate family members are prohibited from entering the country if the Secretary of State has solid evidence that the foreign official has engaged in serious corruption or flagrant human rights violations, either directly or indirectly.
Key Provisions
- Ineligibility: Foreign government officials and members of their immediate families who, according to the Secretary of State’s reliable information, have been directly or indirectly involved in major corruption, including corruption pertaining to the exploitation of natural resources, or egregious human rights violations, are not permitted to enter the United States.
- Designation: Regardless of whether the person has submitted a visa application, the Secretary shall also publicly or privately designate or identify foreign government officials, as well as members of their immediate families, about whom the Secretary has such credible information.
- Exception: If a person’s entry into the country would help the country achieve significant law enforcement goals or is required to enable the country to carry out its responsibilities under the United Nations Headquarters Agreement, they will not be prohibited from entering the country under paragraph (1).
- Waiver: If the Secretary concludes that granting the waiver would serve a strong national interest or that the circumstances that made the person ineligible have sufficiently altered, the Secretary may choose to forego applying paragraph (1).
- Report: Within 30 days of this Act’s enactment, and every 90 days after that, the Secretary of State shall submit a report, along with a classified annex if required, to the relevant congressional committees and the Committees on the Judiciary, outlining any information on corruption or human rights violations involving each person found to be ineligible within the previous 12 months using paragraph (1)(A). This also includes the people the Secretary designated or identified under paragraph (B), or who would be ineligible if paragraph (2) had been applied. The report should include a list of any waivers granted under paragraph (3) along with the rationale for each waiver.
- Report Posting: Any component of the report that is not classified as required by paragraph (4) must be placed on the Department of State website.
Furthermore, on December 8, Treasury labeled Monrovia Mayor Jefferson Koijee in accordance with E.O. 13818 for involvement in, or having served as a leader of, an organization involved in grave corruption and violations of human rights. Koijee committed grave violations of human rights in addition to corrupt activities, including bribery, misuse of public funds, and coercion of anti-corruption investigators to cease any corruption-related inquiries.
In August of last year, the U.S. Treasury Department also placed sanctions on former Liberian chief prosecutor Syrenius Cephus, former managing director of the Freeport of Monrovia Bill Twehway, and former Minister of State, Nathanial Mcgill for a variety of offenses, including corruption, bribery, and misappropriation of public funds.
Liberian-born Emmanuel Orlind Cooper is an accomplished multimedia journalist with extensive experience covering news and stories on a variety of media platforms. Orlind's work frequently demonstrates his profound grasp of the region and its complexity, given his Liberian heritage.
Now residing in Woodbridge, Virginia, he keeps connecting with readers across continents with his perceptive journalism and sharing his viewpoint. He is well-respected in the sector because of his unwavering commitment to honesty and morality, which sets him apart in the field.
Orlind's work is more than simply his job; it's a dedication to giving voice to the voiceless, illuminating unsung tales, and advancing the worldwide conversation on important concerns. His goal as a journalist is to use the media's power to change the world, not just to disseminate information. He is a key player in modern journalism because of the inspiration, education, and engagement that his work consistently provides.
Figo Mansaray is a Liberian Journalist for over 10 years and currently working with Kukatonon Media Inc and AYV Media Empire.
Figo, a prospective Graduate at the University of Liberia can be contacted via +231777489052/+231881734014 and mfmansaray2015@gmail.com