MONROVIA – Cllr. Benedict Sannoh, one of Liberia’s renowned lawyers and onetime minister of Justice has fallen in hot water with aggrieved Citizens of Darblo Clan, Gola Konneh District, Grand Cape Mount County over his failure to provide adequate legal services after chopping mouth-watering Ninety Thousand United States Dollars, ($US90,000,00)for a Legal Retainer Agreement.
This has prompted them, and have taken him to court for a refund of at least some of the money. What is more worrisome according to Mr. Mohammed Daramie, spokesperson for the concerned citizens of the area, is demanding for additional US$25,000(Twenty-five thousand united states dollars).
There were some unsolved disputes between Citizens and the Bea Mountain Mining Company, (BMMC) concerning the implementation of the corporate mining agreement in the District. But following discussions between the citizens and the company, the dispute was later resolved and an amount close to US$2M was provided by the company in fulfillment of their agreement with the affected communities.
In a formal complaint filed against Cllr. Sannoh on Monday at the Supreme Court, the citizens mentioned that it was unprofessional for Cllr. Sannoh misled a segment of the people in Gola Konneh into believing that they have the legal capacity to engage him in a legal Retainer Agreement to provide legal services to the people of Gola Konneh.
The Citizens noted that by taking 20%, $US90,000,00 from an initial amount of USD450.00 contributed by Bea Mountain Mining Company for construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of schools and clinics, Cllr Sannoh has effectively deprived the people of Darblo Clan, Gola Konneh District schools and clinics to the value of said amount.
“This egregiously, morally, and ethically wrong and it is a flagrant violation of Role 16 of the Code for the Moral and Ethical Conduct of Lawyers”, the Citizens noted in the legal document.
The aggrieved citizens pointed out that Cllr. Sannoh did not provide any legal service to the fees charged and he got the money.
The locals indicated that during the negotiations at the Ministry of Labor, Team Leaders of various communities represented themselves and there was nothing Cllr. Sannoh said at those negotiations and no representations was done by him.
The citizens in their complaint expressed fear that the open Legal Retainer Agreement which Cllr. Sannoh misled them that will be misused to file claims on behalf of Gola Konneh District with the hope that some monies might be paid and will get 20% of whatever is paid.
The Citizens are requesting, therefore, a thorough investigation into the conduct of Cllr. Sannoh. So far validity of the Legal Retainer Agreement is concerned and so far the disproportionate fees charged by him for services with BMMC for compliance with Regulation 9.3 of the Exploration with the view of compelling him to reimburse to the people of Gola Konneh District the entire amount $US90,000,00 (Ninety Thousand United States Dollars).
Mr. Daramei extended his case to the media when he appeared on state radio Tuesday. He said, “the people of Gola Konneh are not satisfied with the form and manner Benedict Sannoh robbed them. Benedict Sannoh who happens to be a one-time Minister of Justice in Liberia misled the people of Gola Konneh district and did not give them the rightful information.”
It can be recalled that the people of Gola Konneh district in Grand Cape Mount County received from Bea Mining Company an amount of nearly US$2m. Said amount is in line with the understanding of the company to give only to the affected communities; which is not the same as the County Development Fund.
“Legally, you should take what you worked for. But he did not work for it. He worked for less than a week for the people of Gola Konneh district.
To authenticate his claim, the presenter of the show said he spoke with Cllr. Sannoh on Monday and admitted of receiving the amount as his legal fees. Cllr. Sannoh is accusing Senator Varney Sherman of Grand Cape Mount of one instigating the citizens to take such action.
He has however told the presenter that he would address the case on Wednesday.
But Cllr. Sherman, when contacted by the presenter of the show last week, he declined to comment on the matter.