The Liberian government is exploring diplomatic means to address the case involving two officials of Liberia’s Maritime Authority (LiMA) who were convicted of sexual assault in Busan, South Korea. Maritime Commissioner Eugene Lenn Nagbe disclosed that the government had met with Korean officials to find a peaceful resolution of the matter. Both officials, Moses Owen Brown and Daniel Tarr, were arrested while on official duty at the Green House Gas (GHG) SMART practical training seminar on allegations of rape. The officials contested their arrest, claiming that their arrest was an act of racism and that they were framed by the alleged victim, a teenager. The two men were found guilty of the crime by a Busan court and each sentenced to nine years in prison. LiMA continues to support the families of the officials by providing compensation, and the government has sought ways to diplomatically engage with the Korean officials. However, Commissioner Nagbe clarified that diplomatic engagement cannot start until the appeal process is over.
