Monrovia – It seems President George Manneh Weah’s Justice Minister-designate’s confirmation has hit rock bottom as the Liberian Senate failed to discuss his confirmation report from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Report by Henry Karmo – [email protected]
The Committee is headed by Cllr. Varney Sherman (UP-Grand Cape Mount County).
According to sources in the 30-member Senate, the committee on Judiciary had earlier recommended that the controversial Justice Minister, Cllr. Charles Gibson, be confirmed.
However, our sources further stated that after careful scrutiny of the report, it was withdrawn from the Senate floors due to speculations about the possible withdrawal of the nominee and the public outcry.
Though his hearing was conducted before other nominees including Samora Wolokillie and Janga Kowo, both nominated for the positions of Comptroller General and Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), their confirmation reports were placed on the floor for action.
On Monday, February 5, the Senate had a special session at which time Wolokollie and Kowo names were forwarded by the Ways, Means and Finance Committee, which recommended for the two nominees to be confirmed.
It is not yet clear whether the two have been confirmed. However, unconfirmed sources informed this newspaper that the senators unanimously voted for their confirmation.
Cllr. Gibson had been suspended by the Supreme Court based on findings from the Grievance and Ethics Committee for misappropriating US$25,322 from a client.
“Counsellor Charles H. Gibson be, and is hereby suspended from the practice of law directly and indirectly in Liberia for the period of two (2) months.”
The Committee reports show that the proceedings started from a 2013 final judgment rendered by the Debt Court for Montserrado County, awarding the complainant, GECCO represented by its President, Mr. Anwar Saoud the amount of US $286,200 against the Global Bank Liberia Ltd.
The parties agreed that said amount would be paid in five instalments of which Cllr. Gibson represented the complainant in the debt action.
On November 17, 2014, GECCO represented by its president filed a complaint with the Chief Justice, Francis S. Korkpor, Sr., alleging unethical and unprofessional conduct by its lawyer, Cllr. Gibson.