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An independent investigation into logging in Liberia’s rainforests has found “massive” illegality and misconduct by the Forest Development Authority, the government agency responsible for forest protection. Associated Press.
The report was completed in 2020, but was never released despite activists calling for the findings to be made public. This included a recommendation to order a special investigation into what President George Weah had done wrong.
Four sources familiar with the report said Weah, who appointed the head of the Forest Development Agency (FDA), was asked by ambassadors from the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom to take action in response to the report. He ignored repeated calls with the Reuters.
In a telephone interview with the AP on Tuesday (January 24), Weah denied being repeatedly informed of problems in monitoring the Liberia rainforest. In further interviews, he appeared to acknowledge receiving letters of concern from EU and British ambassadors and said he had organized a conference on the matter.
“Whatever letter came, I organized a meeting,” he said.
The most forested country in West Africa
Liberia is the most forested country in West Africa, with rainforest covering about two-thirds of the small country. It is home to endangered forest elephants, pygmy hippos and western chimpanzees. About 22% of the country’s tree cover has been lost to deforestation since 2000, mainly due to pressure from logging and small farms.
Liberia’s Ministry of Justice commissioned a forensic investigation by international experts after a $3 million illegal logging of tropical hardwood trees in Grand Bassa County by a company called Renaissance Group was discovered in 2018. The study included a role played by the Forest Development Authority, the Liberian forest agency.
Investigators highlighted five illegalities by the FDA, which is partially funded by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. According to the report, a “serious failure” was a “persistent tendency” for management to make “unlawful decisions in assessing the seriousness of crimes.”
The FDA’s managing director, Mike Dorien, was appointed by Ware, a former top professional soccer player before turning to politics. Under Doryen, the agency “clearly circumvented regulations” to allow illegal timber exports, investigators found. The extension of the concession (the right to use the land) was ‘arbitrary’ and ‘illegal’. In one “highly irregular” transaction, payments were made to an unusual FDA bank account, according to the report.
The FDA fined Renaissance just $5,000 when environmental threats came to light. Following criticism from Swiss monitors, this was raised to $105,000, but the correct penalty under the 2006 law aimed at preserving Liberian forests is a fine of $1.85 million. Investigators said it would have been a prison sentence in some cases. Even after Renaissance acknowledged illegal logging, Dorien approved many more export licenses. This is a “serious breach of duty”.
be held accountable
Doryen did not respond to AP’s request for comment. But last November, he said in a written response the FDA submitted to his EU that the problem was caused by “past challenges” and that illegal concessions were not recognized. The FDA said it was taking corrective action on several incidents of illegal logging and two FDA technical managers were fired for complacency.
The report urged the establishment of a special presidential commission to help FDA management “explain their actions.” As of March, it was not on the list of presidential commissions that have acted in the past five years. Ware and his press secretary, Smith-Tobey, declined to say whether the commission was created. since then.
For more than 18 months, Liberia has fended off diplomatic pressure to address the issue of monitoring the rainforest, four official sources close to the incident told the AP. In July 2021, the EU and UK ambassadors wrote to the Liberian Minister of State for the President, demanding prosecution of offenders working for companies and governments, a ban on Renaissance, and more. No response was received until March 2022 and no action was taken. The EU letter also called for the restoration of the rule of law in Liberia’s forestry sector.
Official sources say the EU commissioner raised concerns directly with Weah at the African Union summit last February and at a meeting in Monrovia attended by several diplomats in September. In each case, Ware said he knew nothing about the investigation, official sources said.
Weah told the AP that claims that he has been repeatedly informed of donor countries’ concerns are “nonsense.”
Asked why Mr Dorien was still leading the FDA despite the report’s findings, he said, “If someone is offended, the law has to take its course.” .
In an interview, the EU’s ambassador to Liberia, Laurent Delahousse, declined to directly criticize Weah. But he said the EU wants to end illegal logging and ensure government institutions operate according to the highest ethical and legal standards.
“It’s a condition for us to be able to invest European taxpayers’ money in this area,” Drafous said.
Gemma Tilak of the nonprofit Rainforest Action Network said in an email that such illegal logging and lax oversight are “too common” and “unfortunately tolerated” by governments. rice field.
More investment is needed to tackle the kind of fraud that is driving the destruction of valuable rainforests, she said.
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