Filed in by Olando Testimony Zeongar – 0776819983/0880-361116/life2short4some@yahoo.com
Monrovia – Grand Bassa County District #4 Representative in the House of Representatives, Sir-Vicent Samuel Teenezee Willie has sharply disagreed with Speaker Bhofal Chambers over his (Speaker Chambers’) assertions that legislators are exempted from probe being conducted by international forensic investigators regarding some LRD$16 billion that have reportedly gone missing.
In reaction to the Speaker’s anti-investigation rant, Rep Willie says “Absolutely no one is above the law.”
“No provision/s of our Constitution/LAW that prohibits a perceived person/s of interest (Legislature, Executive, Judiciary, Civil Society Actor/s or Ordinary Citizen/s) from being investigated and or prosecuted for an alleged crime against This COUNTRY “Liberia”/and it’s People,” Rep Willie wrote on his official Facebook page barely a day after Speaker Chambers told a press conference that “this Legislature cannot be invited by any institution. This Legislature brings checks and balances.”
“Hence, Article 97 of our Constitution is only applicable to folks of the PRC and their Associates, Sponsors and Supporters of the Council for their action/s or alleged contribution/s on April 12, 1980 and the period before the coming into force of this current Liberia Constitution,” the Grand Bassa County lawmaker added.
He reminded Speaker Chambers that “We all know and experienced the history and dirty results of very impoverished living condition and rampant corruption in Liberia,” pointing to similar occurrences in the past as further reminder for the Speaker.
Rep Willie further wrote: “Just for knowledge, we have witnessed the following in Liberia: A sitting Speaker being accused of corruption, investigated and put on trial along with a current Senator; Former heads of state of Liberia being investigated and put on trial (one for war crimes and the other for corruption); A Chief Justice put on trial and an associate justice being accused and readied for trial; Ordinary citizens being investigated, put on trial and incarcerated for alleged crimes.”
“Finally, we wait to see a perceived person/s of interest that is above the LAW!!” The Grand Bassa County lawmaker concluded.
Speaker Chambers’ political officer Mr. George D. Watkins has said his boss never made such statements regarding the probe for the ‘missing billions’, stating that he blames the media for what he calls misrepresenting the Speaker, as to what he actually said at his Thursday press conference.
Watkins promised to make available to Punch the full video recording of the Thursday press conference, stating that he would also make same available for public consumption on social media, as a way of vindicating his boss. But as at the time of this report,the Speaker’s political officer had not sent any such video to Punch, nor has this institution seen said video on any social media site.
Rather, what Punch has seen, is a video clip in which Speaker Chambers, is clearly seen and heard stating: “this Legislature is the fulcrum of the democracy that we have – this Legislature cannot be invited by any institution – this Legislature brings checks and balances.”
This response from Speaker Chambers was triggered by a question from a reporter over whether the US-sponsored international team of forensic investigators currently probing the saga regarding the ‘missing money’ has summoned members of the Legislature.
In the short video that Punch has seen, in response to the reporter’s inquiry, instead of members of the Legislature being summoned to answer to queries the international investigative team might have, Speaker Chambers said it is rather the Legislature that is under constitutional obligation to call in anybody for questioning.
“This Legislature is under constitutional obligation to call anybody for questioning,” Speaker Chambers said.
