The_Open_Door_deel1

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It is important to note here that the concession agreement
concluded between JLAO Enterprises Inc. and the Liberian Government
was the Model Timber Concession Agreement and did not
differ in any aspect of it.
The second letter was written by Stephen Tolbert, Minister of
Finance, to the Minister of Justice, Clarence Simpson, and was
dated June 26, 1974. Stephen A. Tolbert wrote:
"(...) It is possible that the Concessionaires (me.ant
here are the 4 logging companies in which Sayeh had an
interest - the author) are permitted to operate a larger
acreage than that shown in their Agreements, thus
causing loss of revenue to the Government in land rental.
Also, lax control of the calculation of stumpage
fees could cause significant loss of revenue".
He continued with a most interesting point of view:
"(..,) 7he Concession Secretariat discussed this matter
with the Minister of Agriculture and full agreement was
reached on the main issue, i.e. thai it is impossiLle
for officials to administer efficiently any organisation
in which they have a vested interest"•
He recommended therefore that:
"(,,.) It is therefore imperative that the people concerned
(.,,) should divest themselves of the shares Ly
returning them without payment to the Concessionaires
involved, At the Same time they should be given a warning
that any further involvement in matters of this
kind will lead to instant dismissal and/or prosecution"
(71).
The following month (July 1974) the Minister of Finance bought
the African Fruit Company from its German owners (see Chapter 4)-
Nobody in the Government protested or even reacted.
Stephen Tolbert's letter was also hypocritical for another
reason. The involvement in logging companies of other Government
officials , virtually all Americo-Liberians, was not criticised
at the same time nor was an attempt ever made (then or later) to
rectify the situation. The (open) involvement of the Minister of
Foreign Affairs (in Cavalla Timber Company and in Bell Timber
Company), of the Minister of Local Government (in MIM Timber
Company and in Cavalla .Timber Company), the Speaker of the House
of Representations (in Maryland Logging Company, Lofa Timber
Company, Liberian Eastern Timber Company) the country's Vice-
President (in Bell Timber Company), a Minister of Education (in
Maryland Logging Company) are just a few examples of Government
officials who had vested interests in logging companies and were
much more highly placed than Alfred Sayeh (see Annex 19)- They
were all co-responsible for the evasion of Liberian laws by
foreign investors, the loss of millions of dollars of potential
revenue and the dwindling down of one of the country's most
valuable natural resources: the rich timber forests. As a result
the forestry sector forms another example of the Government of
Liberia subsidizing the export of raw materials (through the