Ahead of final argument before the full bench of the Supreme Court of Liberia, in the case involving the Government of Liberia and Lofa Senator- Elect Brownie Jeffery Samukai and two others, scores of residents in Lofa County are expressing their ‘disappointment’ in the government for delaying the certification of Mr. Samukai.
The aggrieved Lofa citizens were seen marching under a heavy downpour of rain chanting motivational political slogan and signing songs of victory for the former Defense Minister who is yet to foot on the grounds of the capital since he was overwhelmingly elected in December 2020.
Reading the position statement on behalf of the Samukai supporters Mr. Tarnue Bobo a staunch supporter of Mr. Samukai accused the government of President George Weah of stalling the certification of their Senator Elect.
The citizens in their statement over the weekend pointed accusing fingers at Justice Minister Cllr. Frank Musa Dean, Liberia’s solicitor General Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus and associate Justice Joseph Nagbe as people they said are been used to accomplish the mission of the government in the Samukai saga.
They aggrieved Samukai supporters promised to resist anything less than senator elect Brownie J. Samukai certification and give Chief Justice Francis Korkpor seven days’ ultimatum to allow the certification of their leader or face the resistance of the people of Lofa.
This press statement over the weekend appears to be the toughest coming out of Lofa itself since the hubbub regarding Samukai started.
Mr. Samukai a firebrand former Defense Minister accumulated over 20,431 voter amounting to 31.8% 10% more that than his secondly place rival Joseph Jallah who got 21.7%.
Background
Recently, Associate Justice in chambers Joseph Nagbe granted the government of Liberia request to issue a peremptory writ prohibition stopping the certification of Mr. Brownie J. Samukai until his disability in lifted.
In March 2020 Former Defense Minister Brownie J. Samukai and his two former deputies, Joseph F. Johnson and James Nyumah Dorkor were found guilty by Criminal Court C at the Temple of Justice for the crimes of “misuse of public money, theft of property, and criminal conspiracy” and order to restitute the amount of US$687,656.35 to the AFL pension saving account and US$460, 000 to the Government of Liberia account, making a sum total of US$1,147,656.35.”
At the same time, the Judge dropped the charge of economic sabotage, saying: “This court did not see enough evidence of Economic Sabotage and Money Laundering, and ordered them dismissed.”
However, Cllr. Michael Watkins Wright, who represents the defendants, immediately took an appeal following the rendition of the judgment by the Circuit Court C judge.
In February this year the Supreme Court of Liberia has upheld the lower court’s ruling against Senator-elect J. Brownie Samukai and two other co-appellants and sentenced them to two years in prison each for misapplication of US$1.1 million intended for the Armed Forces of Liberia.
However, the court ruled that the prison terms could be suspended if the convicts restitute 50 percent of the fund within six months and make full payment within a year. The Six Months is expected to elapse next month.
Despite all of this Mr. Samukai have always maintained that he used the money on the instruction of his boss then President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
If Mr. Smaukai and co-appellants loose what appears to be their last fight in Court on Wednesday, their only hope will now be on paying the money or risk going to jail.
