— Angered by Supreme Court’s refusal to recognize his Speakership, as impeachment resolution accuses the Chief Justice of corruption, inciting constitutional crisis
The Speaker of the Majority Bloc of the House of Representatives, Richard Nagbe Koon, reportedly crafted a draft resolution for the impeachment of Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh. The draft resolution, which has yet to be independently verified, accuses Justice Yuoh of various alleged wrongdoings, including inciting a constitutional crisis, obstructing the judiciary, engaging in nepotism, and defrauding the public coffers.
According to the draft resolution, Chief Justice Yuoh has refused to schedule hearings on critical petitions related to the ongoing leadership struggle in the House. The document states that this has resulted in “a continuous and current constitutional crisis with two members claiming the Speakership and no adjudication of the matter.” The impasse has cast doubt on the legality of bills passed by the House, including the National Budget.
The draft resolution alleges that Chief Justice Yuoh has declined to set hearings for crucial petitions linked to the ongoing House leadership dispute. This has reportedly led to a situation where two individuals, Representatives J. Fonati Koffa and Koon, are laying claim to the Speakership without a resolution, creating uncertainty over the validity of bills passed by the House, including the National Budget.
Justices of the Supreme Court were conspicuously absent from President Joseph Boakai’s constitutionally mandated annual address on Monday, January 27 as seats designated for all five justices remained unoccupied for the entirety of his speech, leading to speculation that their absence could be attributed to concerns about potentially endorsing the Executive Branch’s recognition of Richard Nagbe Koon of the ruling Unity Party as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Associate Justice Yarmie Quiqui Gbeisay broke silence over the issue recently, indicating that their presence would have given legitimacy to Koon as Speaker of the House—who they believe is practically hijacking power due to the support of majority members of the House.
Associate Justice Gbeisay revealed on Monday February 10, that the five Justices’ deliberate refusal to honor the invitation of the 55th Legislature to attend the SONA is that they do not recognize the authority of Koon, who presided over the ceremony, as embattled Speaker J. Fonati Koffa remains the legitimate Speaker despite his inferior numerical backing—a situation that makes him unable to control the House politically.
“The Majority bloc has a quorum with no Speaker while the minority has a speaker with no quorum as required,” Justice Gbeisay noted while recognizing Koffa’s Speakership at the opening of the February term of court in Sanniquellie, Nimba County. As a result of the lack of quorum at one end and the lack of Speaker at the other, the Associate Justice noted, “They both (the two blocs) are acting ultra vires.”
Judge Gbeisay justified the Supreme Court’s choice not to participate in the ceremony, stating that the decision was made to prevent additional political entanglements in the country.
However, providing reason for her impeachment, the draft resolution said, “Chief Justice Yuoh mobilized her colleagues on the Bench to boycott the State of the Nation Address (SONA), in protest of the interpretation and operation of its ruling by the Minister of Justice and Executive branch, with a surreptitious artifice that the conspicuous absence of the entire bench was unavoidable excuse.”
This reported move by the Majority Bloc comes amidst the Supreme Court refusal to recognize Koon as the Speaker of the House after months of leadership tussle at the House, leading to what many believe as the unlawful ouster of Koffa. The High Court’s reluctance to give Koon legitimacy seems to have angered the Majority Bloc’s leader and his supporters.
According to legislative sources, the high court’s reluctance to recognize Koon is causing uneasiness among members of his bloc and are therefore trying to do all they can to face off with the Chief Justice.
“What Koon and his men are doing is to put fear in the Chief Justice and members of the Supreme Court Bench so that they can recognize him as the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” a source told the Daily Observer. “But that tactic will not work. They have to convince the Liberian people on substantive issues.
As per the resolution, Chief Justice Yuoh is accused of influencing judicial appointments to benefit her personal and political agenda. Allegations suggest that she provided the President with a list of magistrates whose terms should not be extended, disregarding their qualifications and reputation, in an effort to remove individuals from the judiciary who may not align with her preferences.
“The appointment of magistrates is a function of the President that should not be subject to the influence of the Chief Justice,” the resolution crafter indicated. They noted that the Chief Justice’s actions have compromised judicial independence and undermined the rule of law.
The draft resolution also includes allegations of nepotism against Chief Justice Yuoh, claiming that she appointed her daughter as a special assistant in her office without requisite qualifications. Critics argue that this appointment created a situation where the employee was solely accountable to her mother rather than the established system.
Additionally, the document raised concerns about potential financial impropriety, asserting that the Chief Justice’s daughter is receiving government salary while working at a private medical facility. This discrepancy has been termed as an inappropriate use of public funds, according to the document.
“The continuous act to pay from the government coffers to an individual who does not work for the government except in name only is a fraud upon the public treasury,” it says.
Source: Liberian Observer
