Monrovia– Judge Korboi Nuta was among four judges sitting in the dock presiding over the opening of the November term of Court AD 2017 at the Temple of Justice Monday.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, [email protected]
Judge Nuta, the Resident Judge of Criminal Court ‘B’ returns to his chamber despite calls by Representative George Mulbah (NPP-District#3 Bong County) who wrote Plenary of the House of Representatives requesting that body to mandate the Judiciary Committee to draw an impeachment proceeding against Judge Nuta, whom he claimed has repeatedly been suspended by the Supreme Court of Liberia for actions having the propensity to undermine the dispensation of the justice without fear or favor.
He said Judge Nuta should be made to appear before the Judiciary Committee to give assurances that his action that led to his suspension would not be repeated while serving in the Judiciary Branch of the Republic of Liberia.
Apparently Rep. Mulbah’s request didn’t work with his colleagues.
The judge sat and presided over cases on this court’s docket at Criminal Court ‘B’.
Article 71 of the Liberian Constitution states that; “The Chief Justice and Associates Justices of the Supreme Court and the judges of subordinate courts of record shall hold office during good behavior.
They may be removed upon impeachment and conviction by the Legislature based on proved misconduct, gross breach of duty, inability to perform the functions of their office, or conviction in a court of law for treason, bribery or other infamous crimes.”
The Bong County lawmaker’s communication to his colleagues indicated the failure of the National Legislature to exercise its oversight over the Judiciary Branch of government over the years has exposed the Legislature.
On February 17, 2017, the Supreme Court of Liberia handed down an opinion suspending Judge Emery Paye and Judge Korboi Nuta both of whom are circuit Court Judges serving in the Judiciary Branch of Government.
The court opined that on April 16, 2005, judge Paye impanelled and charged a special juror on the same day that subsequently returned a verdict in favor of a foreign company (FIDC-JUHA), a registered company under the law of the Republic of Liberia to purchase the remaining stock-piled of Iron ore at the port of Buchanan.
In the case the special juror held the Government of Liberia liable in the amount of US$12 million, which was referred to as first special damages; and US$750,000 as special second damages and US$1.5 million as general damages.
Truthful to his words that he will enter judgment without any further notice to the Government of Liberia, Judge Emery Paye entered final Judgment without notice to the Government of Liberia and made all of the huge financials awards to the company (FIDC-JUHA) without notice to the Government of Liberia, who was a party to the same case.
The Supreme Court in this same ruling suspended Judge Nuta for using the Court as a party to a sale agreement of the same Buchanan Iron Ore.
On June 16, 2006, when the 6th Judicial Circuit Court was presided over by Nuta, the irregularities over this Iron Ore was compounded by Judge Nuta designating the trial court as seller that could enter into sale agreement with a buyer of the same iron ore.