Monrovia – The Supreme Court of Liberia Associate Justice –In- Chambers Jamesetta Howard Wolokollie has cited lawmakers meeting in the Joint Chambers of the National Legislature under the guise as ‘majority bloc’ in the House’s crisis to a conference on Monday, August 22, 2016 at 12:00 noon.
Report by Kennedy L. Yangian [email protected]
A communication from the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Court Martha Henries Bryant dated August 18, 2016 addressed to Hans Barchue, Deputy Speaker, Numene Bartekwa, Chairman, Munah Pelham Youngblood Secretary & Members of the House of Representatives cited the lawmakers meeting in the Joint Chambers of the National Legislature at the Capitol Building to a conference.
The communication reads: “By directive of her honor Jamesette Howard Wolokollie, Associate presiding in Chambers, you and members of the Honorable House of Representatives convening in the Joint Chambers of the National Legislature are hereby cited to a conference with her honor on Monday, August 22, 2016 at 12:00 in connection with the case J. Alex Tyler, Speaker of the House of Representatives versus lawmakers of the Majority Bloc”.
The citation from the Supreme Court Clerk is as consequence of a petition filed on August 12, 2016 to the Associate Justice –In- Chambers Wolokoliie asking the court to issue an alternative writ of prohibition against the Anti- Tyler lawmakers who have been holding meeting in the Joint Chambers of the National Legislature for the last two sessions day.
House Speaker Tyler was indicted by the Grand Jury of Montserrado County on May 24, 2016 on charges of economic sabotage, bribery, criminal conspiracy, facilitation and solicitation after the British NGO Global Witness reported in its report on Liberia that he allegedly received US$75,000 from a British Company Sable Mining to amend the Public Procurement Concession Commission Act (PPCC) to mine the Wologisi Mountain in Lofa County.
But the aggrieved lawmakers parallel session with the House Speaker Tyler has come about due to call by the concerned lawmakers on the Speaker to recuse himself from presiding over session until he can exonerate himself from the multiple criminal charges levied against him by the state including bribery an action he has refused to accept.
However, in the embattled Speaker’s petition for an alternative writ of prohibition to the Supreme Court against the majority bloc he indicated that based on his indictment by the state some of his colleagues have asked him to recuse himself from further presiding as Speaker contending that there is no law in the Constitution or rules in the National Legislature for an elected officer in the National Legislature to recuse himself.
Lawyer representing the House Speaker, Cllr. Johnny Momoh continued that Article 49 of the Constitution provides that the House Speaker shall be the presiding officer of the House of Representatives while Rule 4.1 of the standing rules of the 53rd Legislature provides that the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall call the House to order during the commencement of session each session day.
“Wherefore and in view of the foregoing petitioner prays your honor for the issuance of the alternative writ of prohibition to order and command the respondents who are members of the House of Representatives to return to the status quo ante” said the petitioner’s lawyer Cllr. Momoh.
However, the citation from the high court which was taken to the high court by the Deputy Sherriff and Cllr. Momoh according to a source from the Capitol Building has been served the majority bloc who has accepted to appear at the high court on Monday.