IPNews-Monrovia: It is now one week after Liberia’s renowned lawyer, Cllr. Varney Sherman blasted members of the Liberian Senate over its silence since the U.S. Department sanctioned one of its member over allegations of bribery.

Cllr. Sherman stated that it was inconceivable that his hard earned reputation could be dash alone life’s line because of lies and hypocrisy.
Senator Varney Sherman contended in a 10-page response that In his 10-page response to the allegations of bribery and influencing the removal of Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh, that ‘why would he plot the removal of the very judge whom he pleaded for before the Supreme Court when his confirmation by the Senate as Judge of the Supreme Court was contested against by civil society organizations due to his involvement with a rebel faction, especially the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy.
“It is inconceivable that I, who fought a case for Justice Ja’Neh to be seated as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, would serve as a conduit or facilitator of payment of bribes to politicians to impeach Justice Ja’Neh and remove him from office. I emphatically and categorically deny that accusation. And why would anybody select me as the conduit or facilitator for that purpose?”

He contended that the complaint to the House of Representatives against Justice Ja’neh that warranted the bill of impeachment against him was prepared by Rep. Acarous Gray and Rep. Thomas Fallah, both of the ruling Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).

Cllr. Sherman: “Why would anybody select me, not other officers of the House of Representatives and the Senate, to be the one to pay bribes to politicians for the impeachment of Justice Ja’Neh? And who gave me the funds to bribe these politicians? Or is it OFAC’s assumption that I used my personal funds to bribe politicians (members of the House of Representatives and the Senate), most of whom were members of the Congress for Democratic Change, to impeach Justice Ja’Neh?
“I deny ever being the conduit or facilitator for the payment of bribes to Liberian politicians to impeach Justice Ja’Neh or any other judge from office; but more than that the records of the Senate will reveal that when the impeachment of Justice Ja’Neh commenced at the House of Representatives, it is I, as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who drafted an amendment to Rule 63 of the Senate’s Standing Rules (the Impeachment Rule) to ensure that Justice Ja’Neh and any future person who is a subject of impeachment was secured and guaranteed his/her constitutional rights to a fair and transparent hearing consistent with due process. Please recall that the original Rule 63 provides for an impeachment hearing by the Senate to be conducted by an ad hoc committee of the Senate and a report from that ad hoc committee be voted upon by a simple majority of Senators then sitting through a “Yea” and “Nay” vote.” Cllr, Senator Verney Sherman contended.

Now, Liberia’s judiciary system,the Supreme has reacted to the U.S. Treasury Department Report on allegation of bribery, promising to probe the allegation in-depth.

According to a statement signed by its head of Communications Darryl Ambrose Nmah stated clear that as an institution, it has zero tolerance for bribery and all other forms of corrupt practices. As such it does not and will never allow or condone the act of any lawyer, party litigant or whosoever desiring to “exercise influence” over it.

It can be recalled On December 9, 2020, International Anti-Corruption Day, the United States Treasury Department, in a statement captioned: “Treasury Sanctions Corrupt Actors in Africa and Asia”, placed the Global Magnitsky Designations on several individuals in some countries including Liberia. In the statement, the United States Treasury Department declared that Counsellor Harry Varney Gboto-Nambi Sherman, a prominent lawyer, Liberian Senator, and Chairman of the Liberian Senate Judiciary Committee, “offered bribes to multiple judges associated with his trial for a 2010 bribery scheme and had an undisclosed conflict of interest with the judge who ultimately returned a not guilty verdict in his favor in 2019. “

The Statement further said that Counsellor Sherman has “routinely paid judges to decide cases in his favor…” and that his “acts of bribery demonstrate a larger pattern of behavior to exercise influence over the Liberian Judiciary and the Ministry of Justice.” The statement, no doubt, casts serious doubts and aspersions not only on the integrity and credibility of the Counsellor named and the judges alluded therein, but also on the Liberian Judiciary as an institution responsible for the fair and impartial hearing and disposition of cases. The statement is of outmost concern to the Judiciary.

One of the core policies of the Judiciary, the effectuation of which became very necessary especially at the end of the civil war, is to eradicate corruption and ethical misconducts of judges and lawyers. Pursuant to the power conferred upon it under Article 75 of the Constitution of Liberia, (1986) to make rules to regulate the practice of law and conduct of judges and lawyers, the Supreme Court has promulgated Judicial Canons to govern the conduct of judges and Code of Moral and Professional Ethics to govern the conduct of lawyers. The Judicial Inquiry Commission (JIC) and the Grievance and Ethics Committee (GEC) have been established by the Court to investigate ethical violations by judges and violations of the Code of Moral and Professional Ethics by lawyers. These bodies were expanded under the current Bench of the Supreme Court to include prominent Liberians from the civil society – members of the clergy from the Christian and Muslim religions, members of the press, educators, and human rights actors, etc. The obvious intent is to promote fair play and transparency and engender public confidence in the judicial system.

Over the years, reports of ethical transgressions against judges and lawyers have been scrupulously investigated by the JIC and the GEC and appropriate actions taken. Such actions have ranged from ordering restitution, imposition of fines, suspension, disbarment and forwarding to the Legislature, names of judges for impeachment in cases of egregious acts, etc. By these actions, the Judiciary has regularly and systematically sanctioned its members and weeded out those whose acts are inimical to its core values.

However, in all cases, before appropriate sanctions are applied, a formal complaint is filed, the accused judicial actor is furnished with a copy, investigation is conducted by the body responsible, and hearings are conducted by the Supreme Court concerning recommendations from the JIC and GEC. This is an essential requirement to accord the cardinal principal of due process. But in the instant case, the information contained in the statement issued by the US Treasury Department, without more, is insufficient to serve as a basis for sanction against the referenced judicial actors.

The Judiciary renews its commitment to fight corruption in the judicial system of Liberia and will continue to collaborate and work with friendly governments and international organizations, including the American Bar Association (ABA), to curb practices of corruption. In this regard, it calls on all persons, citizens, and foreign nationals in and out of Liberia with knowledge concerning the issues raised in the US Treasury Department statement, or with knowledge of any other ethical transgressions committed by judges and lawyers to report same to the office of the Chief Justice for appropriate action(s).