— As “An Astute, Erudite, and Ethical Lawyer,” PILAC, Office of War and Economic Crimes Defend President Boakai’s Nominee, Cllr. Jonathan T. Massaquoi
IPNEWS: The latest appointment of Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi has been welcomed by leading human rights, civil society, and legal actors in and out of Liberia. The latest among them is U.S. Congressman Chris Smith who has been a leading voice for justice and accountability in Liberia.
In a statement published on his official website https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413265, Congressman Smith, who chairs the House Global Human Rights Subcommittee, extolled President Joseph Boakai for his timely appointment of Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi as Executive Director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes.
“With this critical appointment, President Boakai continues to show his commitment and eagerness for justice,” said Smith. “His expeditious pursuit of accountability for the people of Liberia has strong support here in the U.S. Congress, and we will continue to support him when he stays the course for justice in the face of the inevitable pushback from those guilty of crimes or trying to undermine the process,” Congressman Smith said.
The statement said that Counselor Jonathan Massaquoi’s appointment comes on the heels of a U.S. congressional hearing chaired by Smith last week that examined the next steps toward accountability for those responsible for the egregious human rights violations suffered by hundreds of thousands of Liberians in recent decades.
According to Congressman Smith, Cllr. Massaquoi as Executive Director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes is tasked with establishing a court that will bring to justice individuals who committed untold human rights abuses—with near-complete immunity to date—during Liberia’s civil wars between 1989 and 2003, when 250,000 Liberians died from fighting, and thousands more were conscripted as child soldiers, raped, suffered loss of limb, and endured other traumatic experiences.
“The people of Liberia—who suffered brutal human rights violations and economic crimes for so many years—deserve nothing less than justice,” U.S. Congressman Smith said.
In a related development, the Boakai-led Administration continues to take steps in pursuit of justice and accountability in Liberia. The day of reckoning appears to be edging on war and economic criminals in Liberia after almost two decades of civil carnage in Africa’s oldest independent Republic.
Early May 2024, newly-elected President, H.E. Joseph Boakai, signed Executive Order #131 to establish the Office of War Crimes for Liberia. During the campaign in 2023, President Boakai promised thousands of war victims that justice would be served. The signing of EO #131 was part of fulfilling his campaign promise.
Beyond the establishment of the Office of War Crimes, the President recently nominated a seasoned criminal and civil procedure lawyer, Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi, to serve as Executive Director of the Office of War Crimes.
The latest appointment of Cllr. Massaquoi, who has over 14 years of experience in criminal and civil procedure law, has been criticized by a group of civil society actors under the banner Coalition for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia. The group linked Cllr. Massaquoi to alleged conflict of interest as the basis of their call for President Boakai to rescind his decision.
However, an alliance of lawyers, including human rights lawyers and civil society actors, has come in strong defense of Cllr. Massaquoi. Two of the several groups that have defended Cllr. Massaquio’s preferment include the Public Interest Law Advocacy Center (PILAC) and the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court (OWECC).
In separate statements, PILAC and OWECC welcomed President Boakai’s nomination of Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi and described Cllr. Massaquoi as “an astute, erudite, and ethical lawyer with high moral rectitude and impeccable human rights record evidenced by his legal defense of many indigent clients and political activists who faced prosecution and persecution under past regimes.”
The statement signed by PILAC’s Executive Director, Cllr. Aloysius Toe, defended the rights of Cllr Massaquoi to equal work opportunity regardless of sex, creed, religion, ethnic background, place of origin, and political affiliation as guaranteed under Article 18 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia.
“Calling for the de-appointment of Cllr. Massaquoi, without any proof of his commission of a crime or ethical breach, is, at best, a violation of his rights, and at worst, a misguided witch-hunt. Moreover, it is unforgivable that human rights advocates would premise their objection to Cllr. Massaquio’s nomination merely because he provided legal representation to individuals alleged to be involved in the Liberian civil crises,” PILAC ED Aloysius Toe averred.
Cllr. Toe argued that it is Cllr. Massaquio’s right to represent any person, regardless of the allegations against the person, as protected under Article 21 (i) of the 1986 Liberian Constitution, which provides that “… no lawyer shall be prevented from or punished for providing legal services, regardless of the charges against or the guilt of his client…”
In a stark reminder, Cllr Toe said, “I would like to refresh the memory and recollection of our human rights brothers and sisters that the current Chairman of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, Cllr. Dempster Browne provided legal representation for the late General Charles Julu in a Treason Trial during the presidency of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Although it is a known fact that General Julu was accused of committing egregious crimes during the Liberian Civil War, Cllr. Brown still represented him when Julu’s rights were under attack by the Government. Today, Cllr. Brown is heading the highest human rights office in the land with distinction and dedication, because there is no moral or legal bar to his chairmanship, simply because he represented a client accused of committing crimes.”
On the other hand, the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court has expressed concern about the argument of those calling for President Boakai to withdraw Cllr. Massaquio’s nomination. The group said such a call has the propensity to side-track strides being made by the Country to break away from the culture of impunity.
“Those very few individuals have set up themselves as side-trackers by manifesting unsolicited ignorance of how a criminal justice system both locally and internationally works to include the role of lawyers. Against this backdrop and to create clarity in the minds of the vast majority of Liberians who sincerely and overwhelmingly welcome the establishment of the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Courts in Liberia, which is expected to ensure the setting up of the War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia, the Office of The War & Economic Crimes Court counters the arguments, allegations, and conclusion proffered by the coalition of civil society organizations,” the statement said.
U.S. Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) who also Chairs the House Global Human Rights Subcommittee has welcomed Liberian President Joseph Boakai’s timely appointment of Counselor Jonathan Massaquoi to serve as Executive Director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413265
