Embattled Lofa County Senator Elect Brownie Jeffery Samukai fate is said to be Limbo after the National Elections Commission deferred his certification to an unspecified date.
The Minister of Justice Cllr. Frank Musah Dean has written the National Elections Commission (NEC) to halt the certification of Brownie Samukai on grounds that he is a convict.
The Supreme Court a fortnight ago upheld the guilty verdict of the lower court against the Lofa County Senator-elect and two others.
The Mr. Samukai and his colleagues who were affected by the Supreme Court’s action were mandated to restitute 1.4 million or face imprisonment.
Cllr Dean, in a letter addressed to NEC’s chairperson Davidetta Brown-Lasanah, said any person convicted of a felony, committed in connection with his employment as a public servant is disqualified from holding public office until the sentence is served.
“Herewith, inform you of the attached final Judgment of the Supreme Court Of Liberia, affirming the judgment of guilty against Messer Brownie Samukai , Joseph J. Johnson , Myumah , Dorko for the commission of the crimes of Theft Property, misuse public money, and criminal conspiracy,” Cllr. Dean said in a letter.
Dean’s letter comes exactly a week after he told the Senate plenary that he knew nothing about a letter written by Solicitor General, Cllr. Syrenius Cephas in which he mandated NEC to halt the certification of Samukai until he restitutes the amount of US$1.4 million.
“You will recall that prior to the December 8, 2020 Special Senatorial elections, Mr. Samukai was found guilty by the lower court along with his co-conspirators for the same crimes. But took and appeal to the Honorable Supreme Court of Liberia, which automatically stayed the enforcement of the convicted judgement,” Cllr Cephas wrote the NEC,” he said
Pro-Samukai group warns NEC
Meanwhile, a group of people under the banner, Citizen Movement in Solidarity with Bownie Samukai staged a mass gathering at the national headquarters of the National Elections Commission (NEC) demanding the certification of Mr. Samukai.
The group, predominately comprising of citizens of Lofa County, gathered in their numbers with a pick-up truck load of giant-sized speakers played and danced traditional songs and chanted pro-Samukai’s slogans at the entrance of the NEC headquarters.
Liberia Public Radio correspondent at NEC headquarters said the the group, through its Spokesperson said it has been almost a week since the High Court’s ruling but the NEC has failed to certificate their Senator-elect.
They claimed that there is a sinister motive behind the delay of the NEC and vowed to continue their peaceful assembly until their request is granted.
“We know the whole game plan. The whole game plan is to weaken the CPP [Collaborating Political Parties]. They know Brownie is a heavy weight in Lofa politics. So, in order to weaken the CPP, in Lofa County, you have to get at the key people.
The Citizen Movement in Solidarity with Brownie Samukai said the Court’s ruling was politically motivated and vowed to join the rest of the Lofa Citizens to raise the money for Samukai.
The group argued that the Supreme Court did not mention about Samukai’s election matters in its ruling, and as such there was no legal ground to deny the will of thousands of Lofaians who elected him as their Senator.
