VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMV #0540 2051052
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 241052Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY MONROVIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1187
INFO RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA 0161
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0177
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 3492
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1625

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