-Senate Pro tempore Albert Chie, reacts to U.S. Visa restriction on him
By Jerromie S. Walters
At a news conference Tuesday, December 12, 2023, Senate Pro Tempore Albert Chie, in response to recent visa restrictionsplaced on him, Liberia’s Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel Tweah, and Margibi County Senator, Emmanuel Nuquay, says the U.S. was misinformed and the allegations are misleading. Senate Pro Tempore Albert Chie: “Clearly, Washington has been misinformed and misguided by detractors”
The Grand Kru County Senator has assured to make use of all legal means available in the United States of America to ensure that his name and that of his family are removed from the visa restrictions list. He debunked and denied allegations of soliciting, accepting, and offering bribes to manipulate legislative processes and public funding, including legislative reporting and mining sector activities. “The allegations are misleading and false. I haven’t taken a dime from any lawmaker or chambers to manipulate any legislative process. We will take advantage of the legal process available to remove our names and those of our families from the visa restriction list.”
He accused the U.S. government of choosing the wrong time for the sanctions, especially just a few weeks before the Senate leadership elections, something he said is a concern worth noting.
“The timing of the action on two senators calls for concern, especially a few weeks before the Senate elections process. The allegations against Tweah, Nuquay, and me of taking bribes to influence legislative work impugn on our integrity as senators, no matter how you look at it.”
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 activities.
Monday, December 11, 2023, the U.S. State Department designated 30 individuals around the world pursuant to 7031(c) visa restrictions, including Samuel Tweah, the Liberian Minister of Finance and Development Planning, and Liberian Senators Albert Chie and Emmanuel Nuquay and their close relatives.
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. These visa restrictions are one of the many tools the U.S. government leverages to further promote accountability for corrupt actors around the world.
On the occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day and the opening of the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption, the United States is taking the following actions to promote accountability for corrupt actors around the world. The Department of State is designating over 30 individuals pursuant to Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023 (Div. K, P.L. 117-328), as carried forward by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 (Div. A, P.L. 118-15).
The Department of the Treasury is designating two individuals and 44 entities pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
Section 7031(c) provides that in cases where there is credible information that officials of foreign governments have been involved in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights, those individuals and their immediate family members are generally ineligible for entry into the United States and must be either publicly or privately designated.
