President Joseph Boakai has set up a committee to reconstitute the leadership of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court, days after his office said the lawyer Johnathan Massaquoi was still in charge as Executive Director.
The newly constituted committee includes representatives from various institutions, including the Ministry of Justice, the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations Office in Liberia, the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, the Liberia National Bar Association, the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia, and the African Union Mission to Liberia.
According to the Ministry of Information statement the committee has been mandated to “recruit, vet and recommend to the President, three Candidates with proven integrity who are also well-versed in Liberian constitutional and criminal law, and capable of working with the international community and the Liberian public in developing appropriate mechanisms, procedures and processes attending the establishment of War and Economic Crimes Courts for Liberia.”
The President’s decision to reconstitute the leadership of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court comes on the back of intense bickering amongst rival rights groups who feel entitled to leading the war crimes tribunal in Liberia.
Works relating to the court’s rollout would effectively slow based on the abrupt change in leadership.
Team of lawyers working with the ousted Massaquoi at the Office of War Crimes and Economic Crimes Court were concluding the drafting of statutes for the legal establishment and operation of a mixture of domestic and international tribunal that will hear war crimes related cases. Also concluded is the statute for the special economic crimes court.
The office is tasked with investigating and designing the methodology, mechanisms and processes for the establishment of a Special War Crimes Court for Liberia and a National Anti-Corruption Court. It is also tasked with recommending a way to source funds for the court’s operations.
