Imposing Sanctions on Senior Liberian Government Officials
The USA, 15 August 2022
Ned Price, Department Spokesperson
The United States is designating Liberian government officials Nathaniel McGill, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff to President George Weah; Sayma Syrenius Cephus, the Solicitor General and Chief Prosecutor of Liberia; and Bill Twehway, the Managing Director of the National Port Authority (NPA), for their involvement in ongoing public corruption in Liberia.
McGill has used his position to undermine the integrity and independence of Liberia’s democratic institutions and subvert government priorities for personal gain. Cephus has developed close relationships with suspects of criminal investigations and has received bribes from individuals in exchange for arranging for their cases to be dropped. Twehway has used his position at the NPA to corruptly advance his own personal wealth and political agenda. All three are being designated pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world.
All three of these individuals have contributed to Liberia’s worsening corruption. These designations reflect our commitment to implementing the United States Strategy on Countering Corruption and to partnering with the Liberian government and people to help the country chart a better course forward.
