Liberia: Supreme Court Urges ‘Majority Bloc’ to Follow Due Process

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, who is facing opposition from several lawmakers seeking his removal, may be briefing sigh of relief in light of the decision of the Supreme Court of Liberia that his removal should be done in line with the rule of law, signaling that the Grand Kru County 2nd District Representative’s wish for the application of the rule of law or due process has come to pass.

The Supreme Court’s involvement into the case stemmed from a petition for prohibition filed against several lawmakers acting under the canopy of ‘majority bloc’ that signed a resolution last month to remove the Speaker while he was out of the country on an official visit to Italy along with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.

The ‘majority bloc’ levelled litany of allegations against Speaker Koffa ranging from corruption, undermining of committees’ functions and conflict of interest. The Speaker has since denied the allegations and even challenged his accusers, who have been refusing to sit under his authority, to face him or lay their resolution in session as required by law.

On the back of the petition, Justice-In-Chambers, Associate Justice, Cllr. Yarmie Gbeisay, invited the two parties to a conference on today, November 4, 2024 to look, on the periphery, into the merit and demerit of removal of the Speaker.

Though the Court did fall short to halt sitting of the Majority Bloc as also prayed for by the Speaker and his bloc, it did advise that all members to follow due process in the Speaker removal saga, which has paralyzed legislative functions and is also strangulating the government’s operations to some extent.

However, Cllr. Varney Sherman who is the legal counsel for the majority bloc has agreed with the Justice-In-Chambers’ decision, and advised his client to adhere to the Court mandate by ensuring that due process is served in their quest to remove Speaker Koffa.

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Legal counsel Sherman consented that without formal proceedings, Speaker Koffa retains his position, making it premature for him to seek a prohibition against his colleagues.

But Speaker Koffa’s legal counsels, Cllr. Syrenius Cephas and former Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh argued in favor of due process in line with Article 49 of the Constitution.

One of the majority bloc members, Representative Foday Fahnbulleh told reporters at the Supreme Court after the conference that they will initiative the due process for the removal of the Speaker in joint the chamber of the Legislature.

Speaker Koffa has been insisting that he wouldn’t resign, as he is being called or forced to do, in the absence of the application of the rule of law or due process as enshrined in the Liberian Constitution as well as the rules of the House of Representatives.

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