The controversial Solicitor General of the Republic of Liberia, Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus was at it, again. He had written to the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Mrs. Davidetta Browne-Lassanah, a letter on Valentine’s Day instructing the seven-member Board of Commissioners to carry out an action that would have been totally illegal. The ruling party’s loyalists, including Electoral District #8, Montserrado County lawmaker Moses Acarous Gray, somewhat defended his action.
Solicitor General Cephus’ letter wasn’t the typical one that is written on Valentine’s Day. In the letter, Mr. Cephus instructs Madam Browne-Lassanah, by extension her six other colleagues on the electoral board, not to carry out the certification of Lofa County Senator-elect, former Defense Minister Brownie J. Samukai. Mrs. Browne-Lassanah and her colleagues had affirmed the win of Mr. Samukai, who is recorded as Liberia’s longest serving Defense Minister — 12 consecutive years, on February 5 after their Hearing Officer had also heard and affirmed the man’s win in the December 2020 Special Senatorial Election in Lofa County.
However, following the NEC Board of Commissioners’ ruling on February 5, the team representing the legal interest of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change’s (CDC) candidate, who ran and lost in Lofa, accepted the Commissioners’ ruling and took an appeal to the Supreme Court. While the NEC was waiting for the nation’s highest court to hear the matter, Cllr. Cephus had the audacity to step outside his boundary, to write the Elections Commission instructing it not to certificate Mr. Samukai. His reason was totally on another matter that is far from the election matters.
This is what he had said in his letter: “Further, you will recall that prior to the 8 December 2020 election, Mr. Samukai was found guilty by the lower court along with his co-conspirators for the same crimes. But took an appeal to the Honorable Supreme Court of Liberia, which automatically stayed the enforcement of the convicted judgement.”
“Therefore, the recent judgement by the Honorable Supreme Court of Liberia is not a novelty and did not depart from the holding of the lower court’s judgement; instead, it confirmed the lower court’s judgement, which means Mr. Samukai together with his co-conspirators has been a convicted felon from the date the lower court rendered its judgement in 2020.”
“Accordingly, since the guilty judgement is the law controlling, and constitutes a finality of the matter, and by law is not appealable in this jurisdiction, it is considered my opinion that it will be inarguable allay any and all concerns that may arise, and you will therefore proceed not to certificate him.”
Some of the things the Solicitor General does, remind Liberians vividly of the likes of former Justice Ministers Chea Cheapoo and Jenkins Scott – jungle justice days.
While everyone knows Cllr. Cephus for these kinds of controversial moves, one person that has completely shocked Liberians is Cephus’ boss, Justice Minister Frank Musah Dean. Until very recently, Cllr. Dean was probably one of the highly respectable figures in the nation’s legal profession. However, all of this respect has now come crumbling because of Mr. Justice Minister’s inconsistency on such national matter that threatened to disenfranchise a whole section of the country had the NEC BOC went on to honor the Solicitor General’s out-of-order letter.
On Tuesday, February 23rd, Justice Minister Dean had appeared before lawmakers to answer some qualms they had and he was asked if he had any knowledge of the communication, which was under the signature of the Solicitor General. He categorically denied having any inclination and that Mr. Cephus had acted on his own.
The Justice Minister told the senators that he himself had only seen the communication on social media while traveling with President George Weah on the county tour.
“I only read that letter on social media; I have not received any copy of the Solicitor General’s letter that was sent to NEC.”
The Minister’s revelation came as a result of a question that was asked by Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon if he were aware as the Attorney General of the Republic of Liberia about the communication from the Solicitor General.
At this point, the Liberian Senate took a decision to invite Cllr. Cephus to give reason behind the communication and what constitutes his legal authority to order NEC to hold the certification of Senator-elect Samukai.
But when the Justice Minister and his subordinate, Cllr. Cephus, appeared before the senators on Thursday, February 25, he flipped completely on what he had said on Tuesday. This time he admitted having knowledge of the communication that Cllr. Cephus had sent out to the NEC.
Because of his inconsistency, the Senate ordered the Justice Minister to withdraw the letter that they had sent to the National Elections Commission (NEC). The Senate didn’t do well with just asking Cllr. Dean to withdraw that letter. They should have cast a ‘vote of no confidence’ in him and Cephus, especially Dean.
We think such deportment from the man, who is entrusted to keep and make sure that justice is served, shouldn’t go with such light punishment. He is likely to do worse.
In fact, Mr. Dean, you need to just do the honorable thing— resign; you are unfit to still be in the post as Justice Minister.
