Filed in by Olando Testimony Zeongar – 0776819983/0880-361116/life2short4some@yahoo.com
Monrovia – For assertions attributed to House Speaker Bhofal Chambers, that legislators will not be subjected to the international forensic investigative panel in the ongoing probe regarding some ‘missing’ 16 billion Liberian dollar banknotes, he has come under fire from several Liberians including politicians and civil society actors.
On Thursday, while addressing a press conference, Speaker Bhofal Chambers said members of the House of Representatives will not be subjected to the US-hired forensic investigative team probing the saga regarding the ‘missing’ 16 billion Liberian dollar banknotes.
Responding to a reporter’s inquiry as to whether the National Legislature has been summoned by the international investigative panel probing the hassles over the ‘missing billions’ in Liberian currency, Speaker Chambers said, “this Legislature cannot be invited by any institution. This Legislature brings checks and balances.”
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.
“The people from the FBI know contemporary Democracy; they know contemporary constitution. They will never think of inviting the House of Representatives for an investigation doing so will be a failure on their part,” Speaker Chambers told the press conference.
He continued: “There was some speculations that the chief clerk was invited and if that is true it was an oversight and people involved have settled that, but this body cannot be invited for investigation.”
He averred that the House of Representatives has not been formally informed about the investigators’ intent to summon the lawmakers, adding, “this house is a house that is open, and if people want to come here to make request, and if the request is granted, they come. But to this date, or this moment, there has been no such case.”
Howbeit, Punch online service has gathered that several Liberians, social justice activist, civil society actors, politicians and political groupings included, continue to condemn the Speaker for his anti-investigation rants.
‘LP vice chair blasts Speaker’
Already, the vice chair for political affairs of the opposition Liberty Party (LP), Mr. Abraham Darius Dillon, has since blasted Speaker Chambers, describing his (Speaker Chambers’) assertions as not only being irresponsible and reckless, but a one that seeks to undermine the ‘missing billions’ probe and dampen the desire and right of the public to know the facts and truth of what Dillon calls “this grave matter.”
“Chambers’ statement, if effected, can also constitute obstruction of justice for which he should be arrested and prosecuted,” said Dillon, who has made a call for all 72 other members of the 73-member House of Representatives to distance themselves from their Speaker on his rant to exempt legislators from the ‘missing money’ probe.
“I am challenging conscious-minded Members of the House of Representatives to publicly distance themselves from the statement made by Speaker Bhofal Chambers against the ongoing probe into the reported “missing” billions of Liberian Dollars,” Dillon wrote on Social media Friday.
‘COCUBOMB slams Speaker Chambers’
In a live videocast that went viral on Facebook Friday, the chairman of the Concerned Citizens United to Bring Our Money Back (COCUBOMB), Mr. Martin K.N. Kollie, among other things, lambasted Speaker Chambers, for his rants over the exclusion of lawmakers from the ongoing investigation in the reported disappearance of billions of Liberian dollar banknotes.
Martin challenged Speaker Chambers to show any provision in Liberia’s 1986 Constitution or any law of the land that prevents legislators from being investigated for alleged corruption, least to mention the missing L$16 billion corruption scandal, which Kollie and his group describe as “mass looting” under the watch of President George Weah.
He charged Chambers of being the most inconsistent, incompetent, corrupt and rubber-stamped Speaker since Liberia gained independence in 1847, adding that for these reasons, the ruling party Maryland County Rep and House Speaker needs to be impeached or be compelled to resign.
Martin, who says regarding Speaker Chambers’ impeachment or his involuntary resignation, “the people of Liberia will act soon,” added, “In addition, I will publish 10 empirical reasons why Speaker Bhofal Chambers should be impeached and/or be compelled to resign.”
He vowed to publish his set of 10 empirical reasons for the Speaker’s impeachment and/or involuntary resignation under the caption. “When a Puppeteering Speaker becomes a Champion of Racketeering and Pomposity.”
“COCUBOMB vehemently rebukes every form of subterfuge from this pro-rich Speaker who is extravagantly leeching on public resources amidst economic paralysis and increasing hardship,” Martin further said.
He added: “We demand a comprehensive forensic audit of the National Legislature since 2006 up-to-date. It is time for Chambers to go. He is unfit to lead. We must put an end to systemic corrupting and impunity in Liberia.”
When Punch contacted the office of Speaker Chambers, his political officer George D. Watkins refuted reports that his boss ever made such statements regarding the probe for the ‘missing’ billions, blaming the media for what he calls misrepresenting the assertions made by the Speaker 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 up to press time, 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 so far.
