The Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT) has taken another significant step in strengthening Liberia’s fight against corruption through enhanced international collaboration, following a high-level engagement with the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), a leading continental organization based in Dakar, Senegal.
The meeting, hosted by AREPT Chairman, Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, brought together senior representatives of PPLAAF, including its Executive Director, Mr. Jimmy Kande, and Project Officer, Ms. Fatimatou Faye. Chairman Martin welcomed the delegation and provided a comprehensive briefing on AREPT’s mandate under Executive Order No. 145, outlining the Taskforce’s work in investigating corruption, prosecuting offenders, and recovering stolen public assets in the interest of the Liberian people.
During the engagement, Mr. Kande explained PPLAAF’s mission and impact across Africa, noting that the organization specializes in protecting whistleblowers, supporting corruption investigations, and facilitating intelligence sharing with anti-corruption institutions. PPLAAF is widely recognized for providing secure reporting channels, legal and technical assistance, and strategic support to whistleblowers whose disclosures expose corruption and economic crimes across the continent.
Ms. Faye emphasized that the purpose of the visit was to better understand the situation on the ground in Liberia, particularly as it relates to whistleblower protection, and to explore practical ways PPLAAF can support national institutions in strengthening accountability and transparency.
Chairman Martin highlighted that although Liberia has enacted a Whistleblowers Protection Act, its full impact has been constrained by limited public awareness, fear of reprisals, and security concerns among potential whistleblowers. He noted that many citizens remain reluctant to come forward with information critical to combating corruption due to perceived risks to their safety and livelihoods.
In this regard, Chairman Martin underscored that collaboration with experienced international partners such as PPLAAF would be instrumental in supporting public awareness campaigns, strengthening whistleblower safety mechanisms, and enhancing confidence in the reporting process. He stressed that such partnerships are essential to ensuring the effective implementation of Liberia’s whistleblower protection framework and to empowering citizens to play an active role in exposing corruption.
The meeting reaffirmed AREPT’s commitment to working with credible international anti-corruption institutions as part of its broader mandate to trace, recover, and protect public assets. Both parties expressed a shared interest in exploring structured collaboration aimed at intelligence sharing, capacity building, and support for whistleblowers, in line with global best practices.
AREPT reiterates that the fight against corruption requires strong institutions, informed citizens, and trusted partnerships. As such, the Taskforce remains resolute in leveraging international cooperation to strengthen accountability, uphold the rule of law, and ensure that corruption is confronted decisively in the best interest of the Liberian people.
