–As Minister Discloses Start of Judiciary Salaries’ Payment

By Jacqueline Dennis

IPNEWS-Monrovia: The Minister of Finance and Development, Planning Samuel D. Tweah on Tuesday November 8, 2022 appeared before the Supreme Court of Liberia to answer questions on why the Judiciary has not been paid for the last two months (September and October)

The appearance of Minister Tweah at the High Court of Liberia came in the midst of a writ of arrest issued November 7, 2022 by the Court to appear in keeping with the writ of arrest.

Minister Tweah, appeared and apologized the High Court on behalf of the Government of Liberia and regretted the incident that the Judiciary salaries have been delayed.

When Chief Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh asked Minister Tweah why the other two branches of government have been paid salaries and the Judiciary has not taken pay for the months of September and October, Minister Tweah informed the Full Bench that the government of Liberia regrets the incident; and then disclosed that on November 7, 2022, the Government started the payment of judicial workers for the month of September, while for the month of October salaries will be paid beginning the coming weekend.

Minister Tweah who begged the High Court to purge the contempt charge against him, was given reprieve when Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh purged the Contempt charges and quashed the writ of arrest.

Prior to the Minister answering questions from the Full Bench of the Supreme Court of Liberia regarding the salary and other benefits delay, he arrived at the Temple of Justice accompanied by Solicitor General-designate, Nyenati Tuah, who he said was his lawyer. But Chief Justice Yuoh rejected his lawyer, stating that the Solicitor-General is a lawyer of the Government and for individuals, so the High Court will not allow him to represent Minister Tweah.

Due to time factor, Minister Tweah was not able to find a private lawyer or call for the legal counsel of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, but rather had to personally face the Supreme Court full bench and answer to their inquiries regarding the subject matter. Solicitor General-designate Tuah therefore had to sit mute for the entire hearing before the Minister was pardoned, after having apologized and disclosed the salary payment for September had already started, while for the month of October it will begin this weekend.

On November 7, 2022, the supreme Court of Liberia  with the immediate effect order the  Finance and Development Planning Samuel D. Tweah for what the court term as impeding  function  of the court and for creating a constitutional crisis for the Judiciary and to also  show cause why he should not be held in contempt of court.

It can be recalled on Monday, November 7, 2022, the Supreme Court of Liberia with immediate effect issued a Writ of Arrest for the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel D. Tweah, for what the High Court termed as “Impeding functions of the Courts, and for creating a Constitutional Crisis for the Judiciary.”

The writ was issued on Monday, November 7, 2022 under the signature of the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Cllr Sam Mamulu who commanded Brig. General Amos B. Kesseh Dickson, Sr. Marshall of the Supreme Court or his Deputy “to arrest the living body of Samuel D. Tweah, Minister, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Republic of Liberia, to show cause why he should not be held in Contempt of Court, for impeding the functions of the courts, and creating a Constitutional Crisis for the Judiciary.”

Judicial sources hinted IPNEWS one of the reasons behind the Contempt of Court action against Minister Tweah that had called for his arrest, was his failure to pay Judges and other judicial workers their last two months (September & October) salaries and remunerations, thus impeding their respective functions at the respective assigned courts across the country.

Also IPNEWS learned that Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh, following the opening of the October AD Term of the Supreme Court of Liberia, was scheduled to deploy re-assigned Judges to other parts of the country but the delay and failure of Minister Tweah to make available funding had impeded the function of the High Court and other subordinates courts across Liberia.