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Global Witness
The advocacy group Global Witness says this photo was taken last July and shows timber logged with "private use permits" in Liberia.
Even before a report came out Tuesday alleging that illicit deals gave a quarter of all of Liberia to foreign logging companies, Liberia’s president suspended her forestry chief and promised to investigate.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf tried to get ahead of the report, which alleges that the country's "private use permits" have been usurped over the last two years to allow commercial logging.
"The private use permits have been considered in the past to assist communities in terms of job creation, in terms of support and benefit, but the truth is, we are finding out also, that it has been abused and it is unacceptable," Liberian Information Minister Lewis Brown said in comments reported by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Moreover, the head of Liberia's Forestry Authority, Moses Wogbeh, is under investigation into an allegation that he violated a moratorium on land permits for commercial logging, presidential spokesman Jerolinmek Piah told The Associated Press on Monday.
Wogbeh was suspended from his post over the weekend and Liberia said it would bar illegally-logged timber from being exported.
The advocacy groups Global Witness, Save My Future Foundation and Sustainable Development Institute produced the report.
"A quarter of Liberia's total landmass has been granted to logging companies in just two years, following an explosion in the use of secretive and often illegal logging permits," the groups said in a statement.
Corruption is seen as a big obstacle to development in Liberia, which remains one of the world's least developed countries nearly a decade after the end of a 14-year civil war.
The government has been struggling to clarify land ownership issues across its vast forested zones, traditionally divided along ethnic lines.
Global Witness said about 26,000 square kilometers of land had been granted to timber companies through at least 66 private use permits -- lightly regulated deals between timber companies and private land owners.
It said many of the deals made with individuals said to own the land were backed by land deeds held in the collective name of people of a district or clan who had little knowledge of the accords and would reap little benefit from the timber exported.
The advocacy group added that some of the deals appeared to have been backed by forged documents. "When presented with a letter written in his name submitting his people's deed to the government, a Paramount Chief (clan chief) from the Dugbeh River Private Use Permit area in Sinoe County told us that the letter was forged," Global Witness said.
Land deeds in Liberia require a presidential signature.
In another deal, Global Witness said, the deed bore the signature of former President Edwin Barclay, but was dated six years before he came to power.
Johnson Sirleaf, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for her work for women's rights, has been facing growing criticism for failing to root out government-level corruption as the country begins potentially lucrative iron ore exports and explores for oil offshore.
Last month she suspended her son from his position as Deputy Central Bank Governor as well as 45 other government officials for failing to declare their assets to anti-corruption authorities, a move observers said was intended to show she is serious about fighting graft.
The president has been criticized for nominating three sons to high level posts in her administration - the one at the central bank, one at the national oil company, and one at the head of the country's national security agency.
Logging has been a controversial issue in Liberia since the civil war, when rebels used proceeds from timber to purchase weapons, triggering a U.N. ban. The ban was lifted after Liberia's foreign partners, particularly the United States and the World Bank, helped it reform its forestry laws.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Corruption in developing countries is a huge issue
No politicians being bought here in America? No politicians corrupted by billionaires "donating 100s of millions who hide behind the Citizens United ruling.
Or the unions, special interest groups, left-wing billionares (Buffet/Soros), and Solyndra scammers looking for a porkulus handout. Corruption is inevitable in any country with a bloated central government like ours.
flatiron, corruption is inevitable in any country that pays pennies to govt employees, large govt doesnt have anything to do with corruption, or are you saying small govt wont have any corruption?
You think our fat cat bureaucrats and government "workers" are being paid "pennies"? What world are you living in?
Small government has small corruption. There's little incentive to buy off a politican who doesn't have much power to sell.
Liberia founded by escaped slaves from America, is as corrupt as all the other African Countries, probably learned how from Congress.
60% of Liberia's emigrant population came from freed slaves after the Emancipation before 1870. They found out how hard life was over there and quit going. A lot died from disease. They never were the majority population, there were natives already there when they arrived. Read the history books it's not always like people will tell you it was, it was mostly harder.
Corruption seems to run rampant all over the world and here we have a country that is basically just starting out in the national stage and what this country needed to do was help its people, educate them to at least a point where they knew what they have in all this timber. Offering them support with land deeds, attorneys that understood what is at stake for these people so that they are not being taken advantage of by the foreign timber industry which are like a bunch of vulture.s (like any huge industry)
If this all had been done the money that will be paid for the timber would benefit more than just the landowners and even created other jobs so that the economy of the country can grow. Why is it that its always the little guy that gets the shaft? Doesn't matter what country either, its all about greed and that in itself will be the downfall of man.
I hope the investigation turns out to transparent and finds the crooks that deserve nothing more than jail for what they have done when if handled properly in the first place would have made everyone quite rich anyhow.
This whole issue is not something I have ever dealt with and I don't know much about these kinds of things or business's but I figure using good ole common sense couldn't hurt here.
This is a shame that Liberia's beautiful, wonderful timber growth has been exploited by greed and commercialism.
We can be grateful that Liberia's President has fired the Minister of Forestry. I hope that she will follow through and rescind ALL the illegal contracts.
The destruction of Liberia's forests is such a shame. Perhaps Liberia can develop a vibrant tourist trade. People would love to visit Liberia just to see such magnificent old growth forests and the wildlife that must be living there.
When the head of state isnt corrupt yet the rest of the govt is there isnt much one person can do except put newer corrupt leaders in positions of power. Maybe this will reduce some corruption, the sad thing is these countries could be doing well except for their govt.
The same things happens in the United States and the US Government helps the criminals & corruption. #FACT #