A Political pressure group named and styled The Green Revolution of Liberia has threatened a sit in action at the grounds of the Temple of Justice beginning Tuesday July 23, 2024 demanding the Supreme Court to rule in the Assets Recovery Versus Gracious Ride case currently before it.
The group through its Executive Director Varney Kromah give the Supreme Court of Liberia four working days Ultimatum to hand down its ruling or face civil disobedience of the law.
Addressing a news conference on Thursday July 18, 2024, Mr. Kromah said laws are made for the good of the people as such, they will resist any laws meant to be interpreted to supress them.
The group said they are in support of accountability as such vehemently condemns the Supreme Court of Liberia in their words , its dengling strategy of reneging on the case which has been at the High Court for months without a logical conclusion.
According to the Head of Green Revolution of Liberia, he sees the action by the High Court’s as backstabbing the fight against corruption and a disservice to the people especially they as poor victims.
“We call on the Honorable Supreme Court to rander judgement in this case so that those who allegedly had gotten rich overnight could be brought to justice and any attempt by the supreme court to delay this case involving the Asset Recovery Team vs Gracious Ride will greatly undermine our fight against perpetual criminalities in our country and thereby send a negative impression to our international partners that Liberia is not a serious place to continue investing their money”, they maintained.
Additionally, Kromah warned the high court of the land to treat the case as a national emergency to enable the Taskforce tackle the critical issue of corruption which is permeating the Country, thereby keeping the people in abject poverty.
At the same time, Green Revolution of Liberia recognize and appreciate the immense contributions of the international community, individuals, and groups that have endorsed the Assets Recovery team which was constituted by President Joseph Nyumah Boakai to tackle the issue of massive corruption carried out against the state and its people.
As a political pressure group, the group said it sees the continuous delay from the Court as not only a slap in the face of Liberians but a blow on the fight against corruption and a way of questioning the constitutional power given to the President by Article 5 of the 1986 Constitution.
It can be recalled that the Task Force which was set up by President Joseph Boakai on March 5, 2024 through Executive Order No. 126 was among other things mandated to search, seize, and investigate government‘s assets that were obtained illegally, but the group observed that the team has been stuck before the Supreme Court for months as a claimed calculated tactics against the Boakai’s administration’s fight against corruption.
Making referenec to a legal instruction, the group pointed out Article 3 of the 1986 Constitution designates powers to the three branches of government, with no branch to upsurge, interfere with, or disrupt the powers given to the other by the Constitution; however, they alleged that such is currently happening especially in the case of the asset recovery.
“Green Revolution believes that there are individuals who want to use the High court as a shelter to protect themselves from justice, and the courts, for every reason, is allegedly supporting their actions as indicated by the continuous delays in handling down opinions in the matter and we are also informed allegedly that the action of the Supreme court has led to suspected accounts in millions been depleted while cars belonging to government have been taken across our borders and sold out while the court keeps interfering with executive powers”, Kromah further stressed.
The group used the ocassion to urge the international community including the US embassy and other diplomatic Mission accredited near Monrovia as well as all Liberians to continue to support asset recovery by retrieving resources that could be used to save lives at various major hospitals and provide basic social services for the ordinary people across the Country.
It can be recalled on Thursday, July 4, 2024 the Supreme Court in what many described as a controversial decision, reserved its ruling in the case after denying the Ministry of Justice representation on the grounds that the ministry allegedly sided with the Task Force.
Meanwhile, as the Supreme Court has so far reserved its ruling, the final time of judge is uncertain something the political pressure group wants to be taken as emergency in order to fight corruption and accountability in the public space .
