Monrovia – Criminal Court B at the Temple of Justice has reported that there is no document in its archive of the court to prove that the rejected nominee for the National Elections Commission Liberia, Cllr. Ndubusi Nwabudike, is a naturalized Liberian citizen as he claims.
Cllr. Nwabudike told a Senate hearing that he naturalized in 1982, but there have been growing doubts about his naturalization, something that contributed to the withdrawal of his nomination.
Cllr. Nwabudike, defending his Liberian citizenship at the Senate, testified that although he was born to a naturalized Liberian father and a natural born Liberian mother, he opted to naturalize as a Liberian in 1982 at age 17 years.
The revelation sparked huge indignation from Senators and a large segment of the public including opposition political parties and civil society organizations who had earlier called on President George Weah to withdraw his nomination.
The President did withdraw the nomination, but not until the entire hearing was concluded, and it was certain that the Senate would have rejected him after uncovering series of controversies and anomalies in his testimonies before the Liberian Senate.
The Senate also uncovered that Nwabudike has filed in different dates of birth on several documents, something he admitted to.
Nwabudike woes would continue after the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA), the very professional body he has been a member of for many years, announced that it was launching an investigation to determine if he achieved his Liberian nationality in 1982 legally.
While the LNBA’s investigation is ongoing, the office of the Clerk of Criminal Court B at the Temple of Justice has announced that there is no document to authenticate that Cllr. Nwabudike was naturalized in May 1982.
“This is to certify that after a perusal of the records of this Honorable Court on the herein above named person (Augustus Ndubusi Nwabudike) regarding his naturalization of May A. D. 1982, we have not found any document up to the issuance of this certificate,” wrote Ben George Teah, Clerk of Court in a statement issued on Monday, April 6.
Teah continued: “In furtherance of our check, we communicated with the Liberia Immigration Service and they replied that after a thorough search of their records, they have not found any information on the aforesaid individual regarding his legal residence status or naturalization.”
According to our judicial reporter, the office of the Clerk of Criminal Court B was responding to a request made by a Human Rights lawyer, Cllr. Findley Karngar.
“This is to certify that after a perusal of the records of this Honorable Court on the herein above named person (Augustus Ndubusi Nwabudike) regarding his naturalization of May A. D. 1982, we have not found any document up to the issuance of this certificate.”
Ben George Teah, Clerk of Criminal Court ‘B’
Call for Prosecution
Meanwhile, there have increasing call for Cllr. Nwabudike’s prosecution if it is established that he is not a Liberian citizen had has been impersonating as one.
The political leader of the opposition Liberty Party, Senator Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence of Grand Bassa County was among the first high profile names to call for the prosecution of Cllr. Nwabudike while the confirmation proceedings were still ongoing.
In a Facebook post, Sen. Lawrence wrote: “Now that it is proven that Mr. Ndubusi Nwabudike is not a Liberian, and cannot hold the position as the chairman of our Elections Commission, he must be charged with perjury for lying under oath at the Liberian Senate and must also be charged as a criminal for fraudulent activities.”
Leading youth activist and columnist, Martin Kollie, also writing on his Facebook page expressed dismay over the Government’s refusal to indict the Nwabudike, who had previous served as Chairman of the Governance Commission and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission.
Kollie, writing further, warned that the integrity of the Liberian Senate and the office of the Presidency will be ruined if Cllr. Nwabudike goes with impunity.
He also added that the credibility of the Liberia Government, including the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court of Liberia, Liberian National Bar Association, Liberia Immigration Service and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission will be questioned if no action is taken against him.
“Perhaps those in authority have forgotten the law. Let me remind them about what the law says and requires if a hardcore criminal like Ndubusi commits grave crimes against Liberia and Liberians,” Kollie said in his post.
According to him, the embattled LACC boss should be charged for perjury, falsification, forgery, fraud and criminal malevolence.