UNSC LIBERIA SANCTIONS COMMITTEE: INFO REPSONSE

UNCLAS MONROVIA 000540 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN ETTC KTFN PREL PTER UNSC LI SUBJECT: UNSC LIBERIA SANCTIONS COMMITTEE: INFO REPSONSE REF: STATE 67910 ¶1. In response to our request, the MFA provided the following information on Martin George: Name: Martin O. N. George Date of Birth: August 3, 1947 Place of Birth: Buchanan, Grand Bassa County Passport No.: Not available Parents: Rev. Coker A. J. George, Sr. (Deceased) Mrs. Etta Russell (Deceased) Present Residence: Paynesville, Liberia Present Business: N. C. Trading & Investment Holding Co. (Garbage Removal Service for the City of Monrovia); Mining 49 Carey Street (Second Floor) Monrovia, Liberia Phone Number: (231) (0)6-520-313 ¶2. Post provides the following public information on Edwin Snowe: Snowe is presently a Representative Liberian National Legislature representing Montserrado County, District 5. Snowe won his seat in the 2005 election as an Independent candidate. He previously served as Chairman of the Youth Wing of The National Patriotic Party (NPP), the party established by Charles Taylor. Snowe married the daughter of former President Charles Taylor, Zoe Louise Taylor, in Monrovia in 1999 and they have one daughter. Snowe divorced Taylor's daughter in 2002 and married Mardea White in ¶2003. Snowe's marriage to Mardea White is estranged. Snowe was Speaker of the House of Representatives from January 2006 until March 2007 when he was forced by most of his colleagues to resign. One of the stated reasons for his ouster was that he had unilaterally tried to establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan after the Government of Liberia had established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China in 2003. Snowe was accused of corruption after more than USD 100,000 went missing when he served as Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) in the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL),2003 - 2005. He was taken to court along with former NTGL Chairman Charles Gyude Bryant and two others. All were acquitted by the criminal court in April 2009. Despite his election as an independent candidate during the 2005 election, Snowe still maintains close ties with the NPP and has publicly declared that he is still a member of that party. He is also said to still be in regular contact with former President Taylor. According to their most recent midterm report, the Panel of Experts confirmed that Snowe was one of "seven designated individuals (who) have been in contact by telephone with former Liberian President Charles Taylor since his incarceration." (S/2009/290, pg. 3) Snowe was also named in the Truth and Reconciliation Final Report as one of those who committed economic crimes in Liberia during the civil crisis. He is one of four members of the National Legislature on the UN Travel Ban List. THOMAS-GREENFIELD