Liberia, West Africa鈥檚 most forested country, has a long history of illegal logging, which the country’s regulator, the Forestry Development Authority, has repeatedly struggled to confront.
So it raised eyebrows when Rudolph Merab, whose companies were twice found to have engaged in illegal logging, was recently appointed to lead the FDA. One of Merab’s companies was also mentioned in the trial of Charles Taylor, a former Liberia president who was convicted of war crimes during the civil war in neighboring country Sierra Leone.
In an interview with The Associated Press, for the first time Merab answered questions about his past and detailed his plans for managing Liberia’s forests, promising to increase timber exports and cut regulations.
鈥淐ommercial logging has always helped the country,鈥� said Merab, interviewed by phone in late April, adding that more sawmills were needed so freshly cut trees could be processed within Liberia before being exported.
Liberia, a country of more than 5 million people, is bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast, and has a long coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. Despite a recent past that includes civil war and chronic problems with illegal logging, much of its tropical forests remain lush and intact.
Merab implied that twice as many trees could be felled compared to Liberia鈥檚 previous peak without endangering its rainforests, which are home to West African chimpanzees and endangered forest elephants. The highest previous annual timber exports from Liberia were 1.4 million cubic meters (1.83 cubic yards), he said, whereas 3 million cubic meters (3.92 million cubic yards) would be sustainable. That would be the equivalent of about 1,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools filled with wood.
Last year, the AP $3 million of timber had been illegally logged under the FDA鈥檚 then managing director Mike Doryen. He presided over a for illegal log exports in which up to 70% of timber was exported off-the-books, a dossier compiled by the U.K. Foreign Office said. Doryen has denied wrongdoing.
The United Kingdom and European Union, both major donors to Liberian forest conservation, hoped a change in government would bring about a new era. Ex-president and former footballer George Weah, who appointed Doryen and refused to sack him despite sustained diplomatic pressure, was voted out of office last year. That meant a new boss of the FDA.
President Joseph Boakai’s February appointment of Merab has been met with criticism by environmentalists. Requests to the president’s office seeking comment on Merab’s appointment were not answered.
鈥淔ifteen years ago, there was real hope that a newly reformed Liberian forest sector could become a shining example of how to manage tropical forests legally and sustainably,” said Sam Lawson, founding director of nonprofit Earthsight and a timber expert who trained new FDA staff when the organization was reformed in the 2000s. 鈥淭his latest news is the nail in the coffin of those hopes.鈥�
As president a trade group, the Liberia Timber Association, Merab strongly criticized a $150 million deal between Liberia and Norway that aimed to protect remaining forests. He argued it threatened the logging industry and said he would leave 鈥渘o stone unturned鈥� in challenging it.
A logger since the 1980s, one of Merab鈥檚 companies, Liberia Wood Management Corporation, came up in the trial of Taylor, for aiding rebels during Sierra Leone鈥檚 civil war. Taylor’s activities were part-funded through the sale of what was dubbed 鈥渂lood timber.鈥�
While being tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity, Taylor was accused by prosecutors of channeling support through LWMC to the rebels, something the former president denied. A 2001 U.N. report said LWMC was attacked by opposing rebels 鈥渢o discourage them from doing business with Charles Taylor.鈥�
Merab told the AP that he had 鈥渆ngaged鈥� with the Taylor but gave no details. LWMC did business with the Republic of Liberia, not with Taylor, Merab said.
鈥淚 never engaged in arms trafficking. I was one of those who was affected by this,鈥� said Merab. 鈥淲e never participated in the war, we never supported any members of the war.鈥�
Merab also took issue with determinations by previous governments that his companies had been involved in illegal logging. In 2005, a Liberia government review found LWMC鈥檚 sizable logging concessions were illegal. The company’s contract didn鈥檛 comply with the rule of law or labor laws and had tax arrears of $1.4 million, the review found. The company鈥檚 concessions were subsequently canceled.
The findings were 鈥渃ompletely incorrect,鈥� said Merab. 鈥淔rom the time I started logging, I worked within the confines of the law.鈥�
Merab said there was no court judgement finding illegality, but rather an executive order from then President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made without proof. Merab said some taxes were owed but it was a smaller amount than alleged.
In 2012, a scandal hit another of Merab鈥檚 companies, Bodeco. A government investigation found its contract had 鈥渕any inconsistencies鈥� and was 鈥渧oid for illegality.鈥� Bodeco had more than 90,000 hectares (347 square miles) worth of logging permits revoked.
The company 鈥渒new or should have known that they were executing a contract with material falsehoods,鈥� the review found.
Merab said that Bodeco鈥檚 concessions were awarded by the government, which then backtracked, and due process was not followed in cancelling them.
鈥淚f the government of Liberia gives something,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd later on because they felt under pressure they said 鈥楴o, (they) were illegal,鈥� who鈥檚 at fault?鈥�
As forest chief, Merab said he would work to scale back regulations.
“Sometimes regulations become too cumbersome and it stifles productivity,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ame thing with laws. Sometimes the law becomes very repressive.鈥�
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