PHOTO: Civil Society Council officials (Loretta Poe-Kai, Chair in the middle)
The Leadership of the National Civil Society Council of Liberia – a national coordinator platform for all Civil Society Organizations has called on the Liberian Senate to remove Grand Cape County Senator Varney Sherman from the Senate’s Judiciary Committee.
Sen. Sherman, a veteran Liberian Lawyer, is in the Legislature representing the opposition Unity Party (UP).He has since denied the claims of corruption and bribery made against him by the United States Treasury Department.
The Council’s call is being made in partnership with the National Coordination Body of Liberia CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, February 9, 2022, at the NCSCL headquarters in Sinkor, the Chairperson of the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, Loretta Poe-Kai said, the presence of a robust, vocal and critical civil society sector, almost without exception, guarantees that a State also possesses a good business environment.
Rule of Law is stronger, Transparency is greater, and markets are less tainted by corruption, while our leaders are accountable and promote integrity – sustainable and inclusive development is foster and secured, the Council said.
She maintained that the presence of a critical civil society and conscious national government ability to diligently adhere to policy recommendations can be viewed as a barometer that project a state led by confidence, stability, adherent to rule of law and international best practice.
The NCSCL chairperson furthered that the National Civil Society Council of Liberia and the Liberia CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition attention have been drawn to issues of corruption and lack of integrity involving Grand Cape Mount County Senator and Chairman of the Liberian Senate Judiciary Committee, Harry Varney Gboto-Nambi Sherman who was recently designated by the US Department of Treasury for being a foreign person who is a current or former government official responsible for or complicit in, or directly or indirectly engaged in corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.
The release further quotes the NCSCL chairperson as saying, the US Department of Treasury, in 2010, Harry Varney Gboto-Nambi Sherman a prominent lawyer, Liberian Senator, and Chair of the Liberian Senate Judiciary Committee, was hired by a British mining company in an effort to obtain one of Liberia’s last remaining mining assets, the Wologizi iron ore concession. Sherman advised the company that, in order to obtain the contract, they first had to get Liberia’s concessions law changed by bribing senior officials. (The infamous Sable Mining Saga).
Meanwhile, in an effort to promote transparency and accountability, in 2016, Senator Sherman was indicted by the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf led government, along with several other government officials, for their involvement in the USD 950,000 bribery scheme.
The release reviled that in 2019, the presiding judge acquitted all individuals accused of being involved in the bribery scheme. Sherman offered bribes to multiple judges associated with his trial and had an undisclosed conflict of interest with the judge who ultimately returned a not guilty verdict in July 2019.
The US Department of Treasury reported that Senator Sherman has routinely paying judges to decide cases in his favor, and he has allegedly facilitated payments to Liberian politicians to support impeachment of a judge who has ruled against him. Sherman’s acts of bribery demonstrate a larger pattern of behavior to exercise influence over the judiciary and the Ministry of Justice.
She disclosed that the Liberia CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition and National Civil Society Council of Liberia have called on the Plenary of the Liberian Senate through a written communication dated February 3, 2021 to remove Senator Harry Varney Gboto-Nambi Sherman as Chairman of the Liberian Senate Judiciary Committee, so as to avoid bringing the Liberian Senate to public disrepute. “We have called on the Liberian Senate through a communication to that august body to remove Senator Sherman from the Senate’s committee on Judiciary.” Mrs. Pope Kai asserted
She maintained that the Liberia CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition and the National Civil Society Council of Liberia believe that the US Department of Treasury’s Sanction on the Liberian Senator has a strong moral and integrity implications and as such, the presence of Senator Sherman as Chairman of the Liberian Senate Judiciary Committee does not only undermine the credibility and integrity of the Senate Judiciary Committee but also has the greatest propensity to bring the entire Liberian Senate to public disrepute.
She pointed out that the Liberian Senate inaction to distance its administration and leadership role assigned to Sen. Sherman will further interpret it encouragement of corruption and or disregard to adhere to the US strategic policy direction to defeat corruption, hereby engendering bilateral partnership and technical cooperation enjoy by the Liberia’s Legislature, the Government of Liberia to the People and Government of the United States of America. It shall also affect other strategic institutions and nations align with the US Foreign Policy.
“We want to use this medium to call on the Liberian Senate to swiftly act to remove Grand Cape Mount Senator from that reputable committee. We call for conscious action against the senator.”
The NCSCL chairperson maintained that Senator Sherman lacks the moral rectitude to preside over judicial matters at the Liberian Senate and therefore, he should step aside to seek judicial redress with the US Government and save the Liberian Senate.
She said, the Liberia CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition and the National Civil Society Council of Liberia followed the recent debate held at the Chamber of the Liberian Senate on this issue and want to clearly state that Senators arguing that the matter is personal and should not be an issue of the Liberian Senate is not just only weak and lazy, but a calculated attempt to undermine the entire legislature and the country at large.
The NCSCL chairperson used the occasion to reiterate their call to the Plenary of the Liberian Senate to take appropriate and timely action that promotes good governance to save the Liberian Senate by voting for the removal of Grand Cape Mount County Senator, Varney Sherman as Chairman of the Liberian Senate Judiciary Committee as soon as possible.
She continued that the Senate strategic relationship share with US Congress and broader bilateral and multi-lateral institutions supported by the US Government – serving as prime partners to Liberia sustainable reconstruction endeavor is highly value over an accused and sanctioned Senator.
In conclusion, president Loretta Pope Kai maintained that they are prepared to implore people power approaches as guarantee by Article 1 and Article 17 of the Liberian Constitution in ensuring that Senator Cllr. Harry Varney Gboto-Nambi Sherman is removed as Chairman of the Liberian Senate Judiciary Committee.
The release also states that the Liberia CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition and the National Civil Society Council of Liberia will continue to advocate and promote transparency, accountability and integrity in the governance framework of the Republic of Liberia. Report by E. Festus G. Frazer, efgfrazerjr@gmail.com