A Liberia Public Radio investigation has uncovered that signatories recently used to petition the Supreme Court to compel Senate Pro-Temp Albert Chie and the Legislature to declare the unoccupied Lofa County Senatorial at the Liberian Senate vacant, was ‘cunningly and fraudulently’ gathered from citizens.
Recently, about six thousand signatories reportedly gathered in Lofa seeking a new election in Lofa was presented to the Court through former Justice Minister Lavela Koboi Johnson and Cllr. Lavela Supuwood.
But an LPR week of investigation in Lofa discovered that the signatories used by the petitioners were gathered through deceitful and dubious means in Kolahun and Voinjama Districts precisely.
Our investigation gathered that someone claiming to be a supporter of defeated Senatorial candidate Cllr. Joseph Kpator Jallah misled scores of women farmers that they were going to get COVID-19 benefits, receive one-week agriculture training, farming tools and US$ 30.00 for each of the seven days but needed their voting card to be able benefit.
‘Scam signatures’
Bollay Siaka a victim of the scam told LPR that he was on his way from his farm when he received a call from his wife that his voter registration ID was needed by a supporter of defeated Senatorial candidate identified as Wisdom Dukuly alias Sky and he located his wife where his ID card was, but later instructed her not to give his voter registration card until he come and see the person who was collecting the ID card something his wife adhered to.
Siakia noted that his caution to his wife not to give his card out until he comes was due to the fact that several other citizens were already victimized similarly by another individual known as Isaac Jallah under pretense that he was bringing agriculture workshop for farmers.
He noted that upon his arrival from the farm, he himself took his household voter’s ID card to Dukuly to allow him and his family get the COVID-19 benefits and farming knowledge.
“He told me that the COVID-19 benefits will be given to disable and vulnerable people but never knew it was meant to Solicit Signatures for their defeated candidate Cllr. Joseph Jallah to petition the Supreme Court”, Siaka adds.
Siakai a resident of Kolba City Koluhun District narrated that after getting that information later that the ID cards were collected to Solicit Signatories to declare Lofa County seat vacant, he immediately requested the return of his voters’ card and that of his households and also demanded their names be deleted.
Blama Sheriff who’s his wife ID card was taken under the disguise of benefiting from COVID-19, said his wife is yet to get her voter card back despite many efforts to have it return.
Mr. Sheriff noted that since the real story came out that collection of the voters’ registration card and signatures was meant to declare the seat of Lofa County vacant, he has engaged the supporter of Cllr. Joseph Jallah who collected the voter registration ID card on numerous occasions to return his wife voter registration ID card but to no avail.
Scores of other women were also victimized this time paying L$300 as registration fess while also turning over their voters’ registration card to one Isaac Jallah in the name of conducting agriculture workshop for them and promised to give them US$30.00 daily.
Fake Agriculture training
”In August of this year Isaac Jallah came to us and said that he was bringing Agriculture workshop for us and at the end of the workshop, we will benefit farming tools and after our voter registration ID cards were given, we went at the City Hall in Kolahun for three days and couldn’t see anything like workshop, someone raised eyebrow and there after we were told that the alleged Criminal has fled the town” Jartu Cole one of the victims told Liberia Public Radio.
Explaining in anger, another victim of the agriculture workshop scam Mamai Trowo, said they were motivated by the facts that Isaac Jallah had told them that he was going to provide them agriculture knowledge and give them US$30 daily along with farming tools.
She noted that currently, her voter registration ID card along with those of many of friends left with the alleged suspect and escaped with them alone with their L$300.
But the women have vowed to take legal issue with suspect Isaac Jallah whenever they see him.
However, Liberia Public Radio Contacted one Mr. Dukuly, a supporter of Cllr. Joseph Jallah who came second to J. Brownie Samukai in the 2020 mid-term election in Lofa but denied the allegation against him.
What do the petitioners want?
Some citizens of Lofa County last month filed an application to the Supreme Court of Liberia seeking to declare the Lofa County Senatorial Seat vacant.
The petition for the Writ of Mandamus was filed on behalf of the citizens by former Justice Ministers and prominent sons of Lofa County, Cllrs. Koiboi Johnson and Laveli Supuwood.
The legal term writ of mandamus refers to an order by a court to a lesser government official to perform an act required by law, which he has refused or neglected to do.
The petitioners pleaded with Justice-in-Chambers, Joseph Nagbe, to compel Senate Pro-Temp Albert Chie and the National Legislature to declare the Lofa County Senatorial Seat vacant.
They said the seat has been vacant for seven months, due to Mr. Brownie Samukai’s failure to remove his disability penalty following his conviction for theft, which, according to them violates Articles 37 of the 1986 Constitution.
Following a conference Tuesday, September 28, 2021, with Justice Nagbe, the Clerk of the Supreme Court was ordered to issue the Alternative Writ of Mandamus against Senate Pro-Temp Chie and the entire Liberian Senate
Both Cllrs. Koiboi Johnson and Lavela Supuwood per name and status are prominent people from Lofa, but are not really among popular people the county lookup to interims of direction. Cllr. Johnosn contested the 2005 Senatorial election and lost to Sumo Kupe and Fomba Kanneh.
History of Smaukai legal battle
Former Defesne Minister Brownie Samukai and two others Joseph Johnson Deputy Defense Minister for Administration and James Nyumah Dorkor, former Comptroller of the Ministry of Defense were in 2019 charged by the government of Liberia theft of property, criminal conspiracy misused of public fund and economic sabotage.
In March 2020, Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay of Criminal Court ‘C’ found them guilty of the crimes of theft of property, misuse of public money and criminal conspiracy and awarded them separate prison terms. Mr. Samukai was given a higher two-year prison sentence, while his co-defendants were given six months jail terms each but with a condition that their sentences shall be suspended if they all restitute the amount of US$1.1 million in question over a one-year period.
But the Defendants took appeal at the Supreme Court and they (serving now as appellants), justified that they acted in line with the Constitution and relevant laws.
They claimed that they acted on the orders of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to procure materials and render other services for the soldiers. They claimed that US$50,000 was paid on the instruction of former President Sirleaf as death benefits to the families of the late General Abdurrahman, the Nigerian army officials who served as the first post-war first Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia.
In February 2021 The Supreme Court of Liberia 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$1.1 million intended for the Armed Forces of Liberia.
However, the court ruled that the prison terms could be suspended if the convicts restitute 50 percent of the fund within six months and make full payment within a year.
Reading the four to one opinion of the High Court, Associate Justice Yousif D. Kabah said the court did not find substantive evidence that Mr. Samukai and his co-appellants were authorized by the former President. But assuming they were given authorization, they should have declined because the action was against the law.
In August this year, Supporters and Friends of Mr. Samukai senator elect of Lofa County completed the payment of Mr. Samukai 50% portion of the US$ 1.1 million Armed Forces of Liberia Money he and two others misapplied as order the by the Supreme Court of Liberia in its February 2021 ruling.
The government has since issue a bill of information regarding the payment made by the former Defense Minister. The government is arguing that the payment should be done together as the three men were indicted together.
The Court is yet to hear the bill of information.
Frustration grows across Lofa
Some supporters of Mr. Samukai who spoke to Liberia Public Radio sid no matter how those involved think, Mr. Samukai is still much very love across the Lofa and there is growing wave of frustration in the county.
At the Edward Wilmot Bladen forum organized by the Press Union of Liberia as part of her 57 anniversary in Samukai home district of Foyah, citizens walked out of the program demanding that their senator be certificated. In separate interviews, they told members of the media to inform the country that they were not happy with the way Samukai is been treated.
After series negotiations, they agreed to return to the hall and shortly started smiling when one of the speakers term the Samukai issues as the national security treat in Lofa.
It is however unclear when the legal battle of Samukai who some referred to as a convict will end but as thing stands his based in Lofa is t untouchable.
Comments are closed.