The Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) has reportedly brought on Cllr. Harry Varney Gboto-Nambi Sherman, a lawyer who has been sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act for corruption, as their outside legal counsel. An outside lawyer is essentially an independent attorney or law firm that a company or organization hires to provide legal services and advice for specific projects or ongoing matters, rather than having them as a full-time employee.
Back in December 2020, Cllr. Sherman faced sanctions from the US Treasury due to his corrupt activities. The Treasury accused him of offering bribes to several judges involved in his trial related to a bribery scheme from 2010. He also had a hidden conflict of interest with the judge who ultimately delivered a not guilty verdict in July 2019. Sherman has a history of paying judges to sway decisions in his favor and has allegedly funneled money to Liberian politicians to push for the impeachment of a judge who ruled against him.
In the 2010 bribery scheme that led to his trial, Sherman was hired by a British mining company aiming to secure one of Liberia’s last major mining assets, the Wologizi iron ore concession. He advised the company that to win the contract, they needed to change Liberia’s procurement and concessions laws by bribing senior officials. In 2016, Sherman, along with several other government officials, was indicted by the Liberian government for their roles in a USD 950,000 bribery scheme. However, in 2019, the judge presiding over the case acquitted all those accused of involvement. Sherman’s bribery activities reveal a troubling pattern of trying to manipulate the Liberian judiciary and the Ministry of Justice. The US Treasury has pointed out that Cllr. Sherman is either responsible for, involved in, or has directly or indirectly participated in various forms of corruption. This includes the misappropriation of state assets, taking private assets for personal benefit, corrupt practices tied to government contracts or natural resource extraction, and bribery.
The US has cautioned that anyone engaging in specific transactions with the individuals and entities that have been designated may find themselves facing sanctions or enforcement actions. Additionally, unless there’s an exception, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction for any of the designated individuals or entities could also be at risk of U.S. sanctions.
Cllr. Sherman represented the majority bloc in a case concerning the ousting of former House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa. Reports indicate that Patrick Honnah and Clarence Massaquoi Commissioners from the Liberia Telecommunications Authority were heavily involved in providing financial support as bribes to representatives to sway them towards a resolution against Speaker Koffa.
Political analysts suggest that the Liberia Telecommunications Authority hiring Cllr. Sherman for legal services is a reward for the pro bono work he did for the majority bloc, despite the strong warnings from the US about doing business with a sanctioned figure like Cllr. Sherman.