The Chairman of the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT), Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, has filed a formal complaint with the Liberia National Police, calling for a full investigation into what he says are credible threats against his life and his family’s safety. He believes these threats come from a recent social media post by Liberian media publisher and political commentator, Mr. Philipbert Semogal Browne.
In a letter to Inspector General of Police Col. Gregory O.W. Coleman, Cllr. Martin expressed concern over Browne’s online comments, which he claims suggest an assassination plot by powerful Liberians whom Browne described as “the most powerful, influential, wealthy, and elite.”
“Mr. Browne’s statements clearly show he knows about a planned attempt on my life and my family’s,” Cllr. Martin wrote. He stressed that this threat is not from personal disputes but because of his role in recovering stolen public assets, as ordered by Executive Order No. 145 from President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
Martin said Browne’s detailed claims about the plot—including who might be involved, their motives, and links to past political killings—raise doubts about Browne’s connection to those involved. He urged the police to question Browne and require him to reveal any names, meetings, or information related to this alleged conspiracy.
Cllr. Martin based his complaint on Article 15 of Liberia’s 1986 Constitution, which protects free speech but holds people responsible for abusing that right. He also pointed to Section 14.24 of the Penal Code, which defines terroristic threats as a third-degree felony if meant to cause fear or public disorder.
Among the quotes from Browne’s post were warnings that Martin’s family should be moved abroad for safety, and claims that his work with AREPT has made him a target. Other parts linked current corruption investigations to past political killings, hinting at possible involvement of those now under investigation.
“If Mr. Browne has such inside knowledge, he should work with the police to identify those behind past killings and current threats. If not, he must be held responsible for making reckless and dangerous claims,” Martin said.
Despite the threats, Martin reaffirmed that AREPT will continue to go after corrupt individuals “within the law,” stressing that intimidation will not stop the national fight against corruption. Copies of his complaint were sent to senior security and government officials, including the Ministers of Justice and State for Special Services, the National Security Advisor, and the Director of the National Security Agency.
The letter ended with a strong call for quick police action to summon Browne for questioning and to stop what Martin called Liberia’s “culture of impunity.”
