FORMER SOLICITOR GENERAL CEPHUS CHASED OUT OF UL CAMPUS OVER CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS
Liberia-February 10, 2023: Sanctioned Former Solicitor General of Liberia, Sayma Syrenius Cephus, was recently chased out of the University of Liberia’s main campus by student activists based on allegations of corruption and abuse of power.
The 2022 US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) report highlighted that Cephus, former Minister of State Nathaniel McGill and former Managing Director of the National Port Authority Bill Twehway misused public funds and power.
The viral video of the incident shows students, believed to be members of the Students Unification Party (SUP), a campus-based political group, chanting “rogue, rogue” as they pressured Cephus to leave the campus. In the video, the former Solicitor General appeared to be in a state of confusion as he struggled to drive his yellow Hyundai in different directions on the campus.
Many Liberians have reacted to the incident, with some seeing it as an appropriate response to the corruption allegations, while others see it as a violation of Cephus’ rights, since he has not been given the opportunity to prove his innocence in court. The former officials were suspended by President George Weah following the OFAC sanctions, which prompted their resignation from the government. However, they have not been forwarded to court since then.
This incident has sparked a mixed reaction on social media, with some calling for harsher treatment of corrupt officials, while others believe that allegations do not equate to guilt and that the rights of those accused should be respected.
