-To Show Cause Why Each Shouldn’t Be Held in Contempt of Court
The nation’s highest court, the Honorable Supreme Court, has summoned both the Ministers of Justice and Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism, Mssrs. Frank Musah Dean and Ledgerhood J. Rennie, respectively, to show causes why each of them should not be held in contempt of court.
Both men are to appear before the Full Bench of the five-Justice bench on Tuesday, June 6, 2023 by 11 a.m. according to the Court’s document.
Both ministers had the same the texts in both their summons and they read thus: “By directive of the Honorable Supreme Court of the Republic of Liberia, you are hereby cited to appear before the Full Bench of Supreme Court on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at the hour of 11:00 a.m., to show cause why you should not be held in Contempt of Court.”
Each of them was requested to file their individual responses and or briefs on or before Friday, June 2, 2023.
Both senior ministers serving in President George Weah’s Administration were summoned by the highest court in the land for statements each made at different times relative to the US$100 million Cocaine Case that the lower court ruled in and acquitted the four defendants, including a Liberian and three foreigners.
Justice Minister Dean had seen the verdict which was delivered unanimously by a 12-person jury as a travesty of justice and believes it is a slap in the face of the Liberian Justice system.
The Minister, in a press statement, stated, “The court ordered the return of the two-hundred thousand United States dollars seized by the joint security during the arrest of the four men, so why are they not around to receive their money if they know they have nothing to run from?”
He had condemned the verdict, adding it undermines the collective efforts of Liberia and its international partners in combating the illegal transit of illicit drugs through West Africa.
“There was US$100 million worth of drugs stacked in a container that landed in Monrovia, and the accused were caught red-handed attempting to take ownership of the container holding the illicit drug by attempting to bribe the businessman housing the container. Yet, the court, through the empaneled 12-man jury, said such brazen evidence didn’t warrant a guilty verdict. What more can the joint security and the Justice Ministry do to convince the court that the law was broken?” he quipped.
The Minister of Information, too, was summoned for similar displeasured statements he had made against the court’s verdict.
A Liberian named Oliver Zayzay and three foreign individuals were arrested for allegedly attempting to purchase the cocaine, which the government claimed had been smuggled among pig feet from Brazil.
Following the acquittal verdict issued by Judge Blamo Dixon of Criminal Court “C”, in which he also ordered the state to return to the accused US$210,000 that it had seized from them on the day of their arrest, the Minister of Justice had prayed the Supreme Court that said ruling should not be enforced. But that request was denied by the highest court.
