Monrovia – A Presidential Task Force set up by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to speedily investigate a recent Global Witness report that linked several past and present officials of government to alleged acts of corruption that moved with such fast speed in its work has officially relinquished the prosecution of those indicted to the Ministry of Justice, the statutory agency of government responsible for prosecution.
Turning over the authority Thursday last week, the head of the Task Force, Cllr. Fonati Koffa said after indictment the Task Force has now taken a back seat to allow the Ministry of Justice spearhead the prosecution of the accused while the Task Force assists with relevant information it has to ensure successful prosecution.
Until the change, many Liberians hailed the Task Force for having the courage to push with the writ of arrest of powerful individuals like Senator Sherman, House of Representatives Speaker Alex Tyler and others to ensure they answer to allegations of receiving payments from international mining company Sable in exchange for changing some provisions of the Public Prosecution and Concession Law to aid the company get mining rights in Liberia.
After disclosing that the Task Force will now be paying attention to other issues including past General Auditing Commission of Liberia (GAC) audit reports leaving the ongoing case with the Ministry of Justice many have started questioning the impartially with the current team at the Ministry of Justice to prosecute Cllr. Sherman and others.
Justice Minister Cllr. Frederick Cherue has been a longtime friend of fellow lawyer, Cllr. Sherman and his ability to forcefully prosecute his friend is one major concern amongst the Liberian Public.
At the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism press briefing where the Ministry of Justice was officially announced to taking over the case, the friendly ties between the Minister and indicted Senator Sherman was brought out but the Minister insisted that people should give him time to prove his worth.
“You have to wait and see, don’t start judging me”, the Minister said in response to question posed by a journalist questioning his impartially in prosecution of his friend Senator Sherman.
According to information, Senator Sherman pushed for the appointment of Cherue as Minister of Justice when he opposed the name of Cllr. Koffa for the position.
In convincing the Senators further, Cllr. Cherue said: “Honorable Senators confirm me and give me this task and you will know what I am worth. To resolve national issues is a process and this is a process that we all need to pursue I cannot do it alone. I don’t have a fixed solution now”.
The Global Witness report was also another issue raised to the new Minister and responding to specific question from the audience about how he intends to deal with those named in the Global witness report he said; “Accusations are not proof. If they are accused we will ask them to recuse themselves”.
Following the resignation of then Justice Minister Benedict Sannoh, it was wildly believed from the corridors of the Executive Mansion that Cllr. Koffa was tipped to be appointed by Presidential Ellen Johnson Sirleaf but it later turned out that Cllr. Cherue was appointed to the position.
Friendship casts doubts over prosecution
Since his appointment the issue of friendship and connections continue to trouble Minister Cherue as during his confirmation hearing at the Liberian Senate, Senators raised similar concerns but the Justice Minister allayed the fears when he vowed to perform his job as per the law.
“We are friends but no friend will want to embarrass his friends and so when it comes to the execution of the law, the law will take its course”, said Cherue at the Liberian Senate.
Cllr. Cherue made the statement even before he was confirmed as the Senators were expressing concerns as to how in his position as Minister he will handle corruption cases involving his friends.
Senator Sherman who is already boasting that he knows the court well and certain of acquittal has been placed in the hands of his friend Cllr. Cherue and his former employee, now Solicitor General, Betty L. Blamoh.
SG Blamoh began her practice of law at the Sherman and Sherman Law Firm which is owned by Cllr. Sherman, giving the SG the task of prosecuting the man who helped her to start the practice of the legal profession.
Like other professions, lawyers pay courtesy to senior lawyers and in the ongoing case, the SG might have a difficult task prosecuting Cllr. Sherman in court.
Several Liberians have been expressing concerns over the ability of Minister Cherue and SG Blamoh to prosecute Cllr. Sherman and in phone in talk shows, some have already given up that Cllr. Sherman is going to walk away a free man.
“We are just making noise, those two people cannot prosecute Sherman, they will play with that case and spoil it only for Varney Sherman to win it”, one caller said on a local radio.
The government of Liberia has a poor history of prosecuting cases, as dozen of cases are stockpiled on the docket of the court unattended to.
In many instances individuals accused of criminal offences including armed robbery and others are allowed to go free due to the failure of the State to push with prosecution.
In criminal cases, one who alleges must prove beyond all reasonable doubt which makes the prosecution of criminal cases very difficult.
The slightest doubt in evidence against an accused in a criminal case is a ground for acquittal and therefore in this case, the burden of proof lies with the government of Liberia or the State to prove its case against Cllr. Sherman and others.
There are growing fears that based on a friend to Cllr. Sherman and another his former employee handling of the production of evidences during the trial, their longtime friend and boss will walk away a free man.