Cllr. Edwin G. Barquoi

Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia

Member Biograph

Attorney-at-Law | Former Government Prosecutor | Criminal Investigator | Anti-Corruption and Forensic Audit Professional

Counselor Edwin G. Barquoi is a distinguished Liberian legal practitioner, former government prosecutor, seasoned criminal investigator, and law enforcement professional with more than four decades of extensive experience in criminal justice administration, law enforcement operations, anti-corruption investigations, forensic auditing, prosecution, and legal practice. Throughout his professional career, he has held several senior positions within Liberia’s principal law enforcement, investigative, auditing, and prosecutorial institutions, acquiring substantial expertise in criminal investigations, institutional accountability, financial crimes, and the administration of justice.

Counselor Barquoi began his professional career in 1980 when he was recruited into the Liberian National Police (LNP), where he successfully completed basic police training. In 1985, he obtained advanced training and certification in criminal investigation, establishing a foundation for his subsequent professional advancement. During his service with the Liberia National Police, he occupied several operational, investigative, and supervisory positions, including Deputy Chief of the Anti-Drug Section, Deputy Chief of the Technical Investigation Unit, Chief of Crimes Against Property, and Special Assistant to the Deputy Director of Police for Operations. His assignments also encompassed riot control, burglary investigations, narcotics enforcement, and other specialized criminal investigative responsibilities.

In 1999, Counselor Barquoi transitioned to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), where he continued his distinguished career in criminal investigation and institutional leadership. At the NBI, he served in several important capacities, including Special Assistant to the Deputy Director for Operations, Chief Investigator, and Assistant Director for Technical Services. These appointments afforded him extensive experience in complex criminal investigations, investigative management, operational coordination, and the supervision of specialized investigative functions.

In 2005, he was selected alongside other experienced professionals to assist in establishing and administering the Anti-Corruption Executive Task Force (ACETF), an investigative institution created pursuant to an Executive Order issued during the administration of Liberia’s Interim Leader, Gyude Bryant. Within the Task Force, he served as Deputy Head of Secretariat and Senior Investigator, contributing to institutional efforts directed toward investigating corruption, promoting accountability, and strengthening public-sector integrity.

Following this assignment, Counselor Barquoi became involved in the establishment of the Forensic Audit Department within the General Auditing Commission (GAC) in 2007. He subsequently served as Forensic Audit Supervisor and Forensic Audit Manager at different periods. In these capacities, he acquired valuable professional experience in forensic financial examinations, investigative auditing, fraud detection, and inquiries into financial irregularities and suspected misconduct involving public resources.

In 2012, Counselor Barquoi joined the Prosecution Department of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Liberia, marking another important phase of his professional career. He served as a government prosecutor for seven years, during which he participated in criminal prosecution and the administration of criminal justice. He additionally served for one year as Acting County Attorney for Grand Bassa County, undertaking prosecutorial responsibilities on behalf of the Republic of Liberia. Following his extensive service in government institutions, he formally retired from public service on July 1, 2020.

Academically, Counselor Barquoi holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, completed during the 2010–2011 academic period. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics, with a minor in Accounting, from the University of Liberia in 1988. His interdisciplinary academic training in law, economics, and accounting complements his professional expertise in criminal justice, financial investigations, anti-corruption enforcement, and forensic auditing.

In addition to his academic qualifications, Counselor Barquoi has undertaken extensive specialized professional training in Liberia and internationally. His professional development includes executive leadership and major case management training facilitated through programs associated with the United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) at the West Africa Regional Training Center in Accra, Ghana. He has also participated in criminal justice and anti-corruption programs at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Roswell, United States, and received specialized certification in investigating and prosecuting official corruption from the CEELI Institute in Prague, Czech Republic.

His additional professional certifications and training include financial investigations, fraud examination, basic and advanced auditing, criminal investigation, trial techniques, and prosecutorial practice. These programs were undertaken through reputable institutions and professional organizations, including the General Auditing Commission, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), regional law enforcement training institutions, and prosecutorial training initiatives conducted in Liberia.

Currently, Counselor Barquoi is engaged in private legal practice in association with the Consortium of Legal Practitioners Incorporated, where he participates in civil and criminal litigation. He brings to the practice a distinctive combination of legal knowledge, prosecutorial experience, criminal investigative expertise, forensic auditing competence, and institutional leadership developed through decades of public service.

His professional career reflects sustained involvement in the advancement of criminal justice administration, institutional accountability, investigative professionalism, and the rule of law in Liberia. With a multidisciplinary background spanning policing, criminal investigation, anti-corruption enforcement, public prosecution, and private legal practice, Counselor Edwin G. Barquoi possesses a broad foundation of professional experience relevant to complex legal matters, criminal justice reform, institutional governance, and the effective administration of justice.