Three months after the government raced an act through the Legislature overhauling the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, Liberia’s independent corruption watchdog has almost ceased functioning, all but ending scrutiny of government corruption in the runup to next year’s election.

A source inside the Commission, who requested anonymity for fear of losing their job, said prosecutions have been stalled because of the changes that included the firing of all staff including chairperson Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin as the Weah administration “concentrates on the 2023 elections.” This week’s decision by the Supreme Court to halt some of the changes in the act has further clouded the Commission’s future.

“Uncertainty hangs over the future of the LACC,” the source said. “Cases are not going to court. Lawyers are challenging us claiming that we are to dissolve. Asset declaration to the LACC has dropped.”

The source said morale among staff is at zero. “There is no zeal to work at the LACC since the passage of this new act,” the source said. “Employees are showing a lackadaisical attitude on the job. We are not prosecuting cases and investigations are ongoing but not aggressive as they used to be.”

Critics say this is exactly the outcome the government wanted. Since the Weah administration came into office in 2018 it has been plagued by corruption scandals. They escalated this year when the LACC implicated several high-profile public officials including Jeanie Cooper, the Agriculture Minister, Francis Wreh, the head of the Liberia Institute of Geo-Information Services, and two of his deputies.