-Rep. Ivar Jones clarifies
By Moses M. Tokpah,mosesmtokpah@gmail.com
KAKATA, Liberia- The Representative of Margibi 2nd electoral district, Ivar K. Jones has clarified that he is not being personal in signing the document that calls for the establishment of war and economic crimes court in Liberia.
“Hon. Jones has signed the establishment of the war and economic crimes court and I say I have not being personal for signing the war and economic crimes court so it should not be misconstrue or misinterpreted,” he declared.
Speaking in an interview with this Reporter in Kakata recently, Rep. Jones said though he was not specific, the Margibi Lawmaker disclosed that it has been perceived by people that some Lawmakers are signing the document, because they have some personal issues against other people.
Mr. Jones stated that as far as he is concern, everyone remains a free citizen unless the war crime court is established, investigation is conducted and someone is pleaded guilty.
Rep. Jones added, “but in the absent of that I believe that the war crime court is for everybody; people who perpetrated hideous crime against our citizens”.
He mentioned that he sees the war crime court as a deterrent stating that today people fee that violence is the only result that can give understanding, but he has different view on that belief.
The Margibi County District #2 Representative asserted that one does not have to be violent before him/her gets result, transcend his/her message and before people know he/she is powerful and at the end of the day his/her action tells the Country and its people who that individual is.
Also, Jones explained that with the wave of violence in the Country; there is a need to set a cut off period or a beginning to bringing people who committed hideous crime in Liberia especially during the civil war to justice.
He narrated that the TRC report was specific about the war crime as such; if that is the cut off period or the beginning to whatsoever, the Country can start from there.
According to him, it is possible that those who people perceive may have committed hideous crime go to the war crime court apparently they might be free but said an individual can only be free if he/she goes through the justice process.
The Margibi Lawmaker also said that it is more burden on people who have even being perceived as people who committed hideous crime in Liberia to call for the war crime court in order to go and exonerate themselves instead of people pointing accusing fingers at them.
Rep. Jones then said with the establishment of the court, with the investigation done and justice is dispensed, if an accused is free he/she can sue anyone who feels they committed war crime.