Liberia: Corruption in Liberia’s Emerging Oil Industry: Role of Timis & AP

Jan 9, 2015 | Front Page Africa
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Monrovia - Liberia’s oil industry is being contaminated by the corrupting influences of Frank Timis and his company African Petroleum, an investigation by FrontPage Africa has discovered. During the investigation, an unholy alliance between Timis and officials of NOCAL point to a relationship that has undermined transparency and probity in the country’s oil program. Ultimately, the dealings could lead to oil being a curse instead of a blessing for the postwar fragile nation.

In addition to the unsavory relationship with Frank Timis, Liberia’s oil program has come under international condemnation by Global Witness as a result of allegations by the country’s General Auditing Commission (GAC), that bribes were paid to legislators to ratify oil concessions in 2010. The allegations are troubling as they are happening under an administration that came to power in 2006 vowing to make corruption public enemy number 1. Today, many observers view that pledge as mostly empty words.