—– Did Money Exchange Hands for CSOs Statement?
IPNEWS: Several sources both in Liberia and the diaspora have hinted the authoritative Independent Probe newspaper that Civitas Maxima and the Monrovia-based Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP), recently instigated the purported statement by a group of civil society organization calling for the withdrawal of Cllr. Johnathan Massaquoi, as Executive Director, Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court of Liberia.
According to a classified leaked, Hassan Bility, of the Monrovia-based Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP), held series of secret meetings with several members of the Civil Society alleging that Cllr. Massaquoi must not lead the process of transitional justice because of this lack of knowledge and involvement in the civil society arena couple with his long client, lawyer relationship of many accused persons who were later set free for lack of evidence.
The well-crafted plan with support from several sources within the International System, particularly Civitas Maxima, comes on the heels of Liberia’s president quest to move forward to jumpstart a long-awaited war and economic crimes court.
President Joseph Boakai signed a Executive Order on May 2 creating an office responsible for setting up the court to judge war and economic crimes, after years of international and domestic pressure, and subsequently appointed in June 20214 an outstanding lawyer Jonathan Massaquoi to head up the process.
Dyas into his appointment, Hassan Bility with alleged support from Civitas Maxima embarked on a nasty propaganda against Cllr. Johnathan Massaquoi for representing former Liberian president Charles Taylor’s ex-wife against war crimes accusations.
After four years of horrible experiences in a British jail, Madam Agnes Taylor, sought to bring her accusers to Justice.
Agnes Taylor has failed for Damages for ‘Malicious Prosecution/wrong’, before the Civil Law court, Sixth Judicial Circuit sitting in Montserrado county for its December term of court, against Hassan Bility of the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP), and Alain Werner of Civitas Maxima of Geneva, Switzerland, in central Europe.
According to the citation signed by the Clerk of Court, Randolph B. Sneh, the named parties are to appear before his honor Scheaplor R. Dunbar, Assigned Circuit Judge, Civil Law court, Sixth Judicial Circuit sitting in Montserrado county for its December term of court, on January 6, 2023.
It may be recalled, two years after her released, Madam Agnes Taylor, in June 2022, the Civil Law Court ‘B’, at the Temple of Justice in Liberia granted Madam Taylor US$1.5 million in damages against Massa Washington, a former commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) guilty of libel.
Even though defendant Washington was not present for the judgment and had also been missing in action throughout the trial action due to current residence in the United States, since she resides in the US., Judge Scheaplor Dunbar found her guilty in absentia and ordered her to pay the plaintiff, Ms. Taylor, US$500,000 for punitive damages and US$1 million for general damages.
The money, according to the Court, is sufficient enough to restore the plaintiff’s prestige and reputation and to compensate her for the injury she had sustained as a result of the defendant’s libelous statement. Judge Dunbar’s decision came after he confirmed and affirmed the unanimous verdict of the petty jury, in April of this year.
“The defendant did not serve as evidenced by the sheriff’s return, and so the court granted a request for the issuance of the writ of summons by publications and mailing, in keeping with sections 3.40, and 3.41 of the civil procedure law of Liberia,” Judge Dunbar said.
Cllr. Massaquoi, based on the absence of Ms. Washington applied for judgment by default in keeping with sections 42.1 and 42.6 of the civil procedure law of Liberia, which the Judge accepted.
And after the application was filed, Judge Dunbar requested Ms. Taylor and the case witnesses to take the stand and testify.
Justifying his decision, Judge Dunbar ruled, “after the four publications were completed, the plaintiff requested a clerk’s certificate beyond the statutory period of ten days.
“The clerk of the court is hereby ordered to prepare a writ of execution to be placed in hands of the sheriff for service of the defendant to enforce the judgment and is hereby so declared,” the judge ruled. “The clerk is also ordered to prepare a Bill of cost against the defendant to be taxed.”
The case came as a result of an article Ms. Washington authored and published, which carried the headline “Attacks Against GJRP’s Hassan Bility are Coordinated, Purposeful and Should Be Condensed”.
It may be recalled, Darius Tweh another human right advocator disclosed to investigators how Hassan Bility recruited him and later coached him and put on a flight to Osu, Republic of Ghana, where he was coached to give false statements against Agnes Reeves.
According to Tweh, while in Ghana, he met Garry Titiley and his team from the British Metropolitan Police Department, who he alleged is an ally to the former ULIMO-K Operative and ALCOP Youth Wing Co-Chairman Hassan Bility, now Director of the Global Justice Research Project Liberia, Center for Justice and Accountability California USA, Civitas Maxima Switzerland provided false information over years with witnesses’ recruitment in several Liberian war actors’ cases.
Tweh, one-time ally to Hassan Bility’s Global Justice Research Project Liberia further called on the Tom Lantos Human Rights Bipartisan Commission of the United States Congress, Office of Global Criminal Justice United States Department of State, United States Department of Homeland Security, United States Department of Justice, American Bar Associations, European Union to Investigate Hassan Bility Global Justice Research Project Liberia, Carmen Cheung Center for Justice and Accountability California USA and Alain Werner Civitas Maxima Switzerland.
Cllr. Massaquoi also defended former Gibril Massaquoi, who was also lied upon by Hassan Bility of the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP), and Alain Werner of Civitas Maxima of Geneva, Switzerland, in central Europe, for committing string of murders, rapes and acts of torture when he allegedly served as rebel commander with the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) between 1999 and 2003, but was later set free in a Swiss court for lack of evidence again.
The West African nation’s two civil wars left an estimated 250,000 people dead between 1989 and 2003 and resulted in massacres, mutilation, rape and cannibalism.
Amidst the calls for a small number Rights Group for Cllr. Johnathan Massaquoi withdrawal , there are emerging reports that Hassan Bility of the Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP), and Alain Werner of Civitas Maxima of Geneva, Switzerland, allegedly dashed out USD 40,000 even though this has not been independently verified as IPNEWS is still seeking clarification from the Civil Society Groups. Investigation continues.
The Coalition for Justice in Liberia (“CJL”), stated that the important office of WECC Republic of Liberia should be headed by an attorney whose character and professional reputation are above reproach. The leader of this office ideally should be a lawyer who is respected domestically, regionally, and internationally. Ideally, that person should know international law, and be familiar with other war crimes tribunals.
From all indications, Mr. Massaquoi doesn’t possess any of the referenced traits. Mr. Massaquoi has not practiced law outside the Liberian judicial system, which has questionable ethics. Beyond this, he has no known expertise in international law.
In addition, Mr. Massaquoi has an insurmountable conflict of interest, which prevents him from ethically representing the War and Economic Crimes Court Office. Mr. Massaquoi previously represented Mrs. Agnes Taylor, wife of convicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor and other actors of war/economic crimes in Liberia. In that representation, Mr. Massaquoi sued Liberian war victims and Liberian human rights advocates on behalf of Mrs. Agnes Taylor.
But Cllr. Massaquoi swiftly rebuked the accusation terming the Civil Society Organization accusation as ‘Baseless Unsolicited Ignorance’.
The office of the WECCL, stated that the select group of civil society organizations under the aegis of the Coalition for the Establishment of War and Economic Crimes Courts in Liberia and Human Rights Community of Liberia, argument proffered that the Executive Director of the Office of the War & Economic Crimes Court, Cllr. Jonathan T. Massaquoi, an astute and erudite lawyer with impeccable character is unqualified to head the Office of The War & Economic Crimes Court primarily because he provided legal representation for Madam Agnes Reeves Taylor, who was on trial in the United Kingdom for alleged war crimes during Liberia’s civil war, and a war crimes indictee from Sierra Leone, Mr. Gebril Massaquoi in a Finnish Court, as well as instituting multiple lawsuits against some individuals acting under the banner of human rights institutions is unfair and self-seeking.
the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court highlights that such argument is misleading with the intent to sidetrack current strives being made by the Country to break away from the culture of impunity, and instituting justice and accountability, which will bring closure to our belligerent past, thus setting our Country on the trajectory to the adherence of the rule of law.
“These very few individuals have set up themselves as side track 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 welcomes 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 these distractors to wit:
- That Article 21. (i) of the 1986 Constitution states, “the right to counsel and the rights of counsel shall be inviolable. There shall be no interference with the lawyer-client relationship. In all trials, hearings, interrogatories, and other proceedings where a person is accused of a criminal offense, the accused shall have the right to counsel of his choice; and where the accused is unable to secure such representation, the Republic shall make available legal aid services to ensure the protections of his rights. There shall be absolute immunity from any government sanctions or interference in the performance of legal services as a counselor or advocate; lawyers’ offices and homes shall not be searched or papers examined or taken save pursuant to a search warrant and court order; no lawyer shall be prevented from or punished for providing legal services, regardless of the charges against or the guilt of his client, no lawyer shall be barred from practice for political reasons.” [sic] Today, we hear Human Rights Advocates, who should be moral guarantors of the Constitution of Liberia in the protection of the fundamental rights of all citizens, including the right to equal opportunity for work and employment, and not only Accra Peace Accord of 2003, petitioning the Government of Liberia to openly violate Article 21 (1) only because of self-aggrandizement and appeasement, and not on the merit of any moral and ethical breach.
- That the non-interference with the lawyer-client relationship, and absolute immunity from any sanctions or interference in the performance of legal services as a counselor or advocate is not unique to Liberia but constitutes a fundament pillow of international crime law. The Office of War & Economic Crimes Court submits that the legal profession is the only profession/vocation that is constitutionally protected and, as such, no government can sanction or reprimand any lawyer for performing his/her constitutional duty. Moreover, all criminal defendants have a right to a lawyer of his/her choice in a criminal case, thus creating a lawyer-client relationship in which no government agency or court of law can deprive a lawyer from holding public office.”
