Liberia: President Orders Immediate Halt on the Issuance of Diplomatic Passports

MONROVIA – President George Weah has ordered an immediate halt to the issuance of diplomatic passports following a FrontPageAfrica report that a Liberian diplomatic passport was discovered in the home of Sheik Bassirou Kante following his arrest for money laundering conspiracy by FBI agents in the United States.

It remains unclear how Mr. Kante obtained the diplomatic passport as he is not an employee of the government of Liberia nor is he known to be a representative of the government at any of Liberia’s Foreign Missions.

 The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dee-Maxwell Kemeyah has been instructed by the President to submit a full report detailing a review of how Liberian diplomatic passports are issued. He is to report to the President in one week as of May 10, 2022.

On Monday, Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor distanced herself from helping Bassirou obtain the diplomatic passport, despite acknowledging knowing him.

Her rebuttal was triggered by the report by the U.S. Agents that their search of the defendant’s email unveiled that he had “close personal relationship” with the Vice President of Liberia.

Bassirou is, however, known to have close relationship with the Liberian government. In February, he single-handedly paid the cost of flying in Nigerian superstars P-Square on a private jet to perform during the Bicentennial Celebrations. He paid the twin superstars US$100,000 on ground that such was his contribution to the Bicentennial Celebration.