Monrovia – President Joseph Boakai has denied reports regarding the withdrawal of Cllr. Johnathan Massaquoi’s appointment as the Executive Director of the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC).
By Jaheim T. Tumu- [email protected]
Recent media reports, citing unnamed sources, indicated that President Boakai had withdrawn Cllr. Massaquoi’s appointment, stating unknown reasons for the removal of the WECC Executive Director.
“The Office of the President states here that the Executive Director, Cllr. Massaquoi, is currently on a mission abroad in the interest of the office and is expected to make a full report to the President upon his return,” the Executive Mansion stated.
Since the nomination of Cllr. Massaquoi, there have been numerous calls for President Boakai to rescind his appointment. Chief among these organizations is the Coalition for Justice in Liberia (CJL), which informed the Liberian leader that the WECC should be headed by an attorney whose character and professional reputation are above reproach.
CJL emphasized that the leader of this office should ideally be a lawyer respected domestically, regionally, and internationally, familiar with international law and other war crimes tribunals.
“From all indications, Mr. Massaquoi doesn’t possess any of the referenced traits. Mr. Massaquoi has not practiced law outside the Liberian judicial system, which has questionable ethics. Beyond this, he has no known expertise in international law,” CJL said.
CJL accused Cllr. Massaquoi of previously representing Mrs. Agnes Taylor, wife of convicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor, and other actors of war and economic crimes in Liberia, which they argue prevents him from ethically representing the WECC Office. They said that in his representation, Cllr. Massaquoi sued Liberian war victims and human rights advocates on behalf of Mrs. Agnes Taylor.
“Mr. Massaquoi’s representation of Mrs. Taylor and other alleged war actors like notorious Sierra Leonean war commander, Gibril Massaquoi, is in direct conflict with his proposed work for the WECC. The Office of WECC will coordinate, aid, and participate in bringing charges against Liberian warlords like the Taylors, their associates, and other individuals who economically benefited from the Liberian Civil Wars, and committed crimes against the Liberian people,” CJL stressed.
Recently, during the 177th Independence Day celebration, national orator Dr. Robtel Neejay Pailey criticized President Boakai over the ‘dubious circumstances’ under which the Executive Director of the WECC was selected without civil society vetting or endorsement.
Dr. Pailey said, “This is unacceptable. President Boakai, I urge you to withdraw this nomination and not allow politricking to derail one of the most important appointments of your time in office. Staff the Office with upstanding Liberian human rights defenders, many of whom have been advocating in the trenches for decades.”
