As Lack Of Manpower Is Slowly Killing Prosecution Of cases
PHOTO: Cllr. Oswald Tweh, Liberia’s Minister of Justice
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Monrovia, Liberia- The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Liberia, Cllr. Oswald Tweh has disclosed that he doesn’t have control over prosecutors’ assignments around the country.
Minister Tweh made the disclosure during a face-to- face interview at his Justice Ministry office.
According to Minister Tweh, no assign prosecutors in the leeward counties, it is a huge challenge that the Ministry is yet to overcome, because most of these prosecutors are not willing to take an assignment outside of Montserrado County despite he has the power to do even though Monrovia is not Liberia.
He said in order to assign prosecutors in the rural counties, it requires resettlement of said prosecutors which the Ministry is not in the capacity to do so now.
For example, if there is memorandum of understanding signed for the Ministry to sponsor a particular prosecutor in the law school or other disciplines to be assigned outside Montserrado County, with agreement that after his graduation, he will work for three or more as a means of paying back to the Ministry but it’s the case here.
Minister Tweh also said, the issue surrounding prosecutors are currently under the microscope for viewing and to find solutions on their numerous challenges that are confronting daily.
The Liberian Justice Minister added that he is not a just need to do Minister that as soon the problem falls, then it is solved immediately.
The Minister revealed that he is opened to meet with any prosecutor once he’s less busy.
In attendance during the were Solicitor General Augustine C. Fayiah, Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Justice Massa Jallabah.
Massa Jallbah, Deputy Minister for Administration opened the floor on activities that took place while the Justice Minister was out of the country where she held meeting with staffers at the Ministry.
Madam Jallabah disclosed that, following that meeting, the Minister took a tour of the Ministry meeting with individuals and department heads to acquaint himself with them.
Justice Minister Tweh said prosecutors have been patient without vehicles for the past six or more years and he wants them to continuously be patient as they are administrative heads of Ministry are working on modalities to have their vehicles purchased with might take one or more years.
As to the status of, Prosecutors appointment especially County Attorneys, both Solicitor General Augustine C. Fayiah and Minister Oswald Tweh said” we don’t have the appointing powers. It the prerogative of the president and not us.
Cllr. Fayiah also gave his input has he recently held a three-day workshop with prosecutors but didn’t state whether it was all prosecutors the workshop was meant.
“If County Attorneys are saying that I haven’t had an acquaintance with them, yes it may be true but I have even held meetings with City Solicitors. Once the money to purchase vehicles are in the budget, we definitely purchase them, but it has to pass through the procurement process which will take little bit of time,” MinisterTweh lamented.
“The issue of prosecution fund, the budget was recently passed and let wait to see in the next few months what happens,” the Justice Minister indicated.
What are we giving fuel to prosecutors when they don’t vehicles Minister Tweh questioned prosecutors? But lodged to answer the scratch cards question.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Tweh has assured prosecutors that very soon, they will meet.
Some prosecutors’ names withheld said it is customary that whenever a new head of an institution takes over from the outgoing head of said institution, the newly head will have an acquaintance meeting with workers of said institution but County Attorneys it’s the case with the newly Justice Minister Oswald Tweh since taking over the Justice Ministry.
Minister Tweh was appointed by President Joseph Nyumah Boakai in late January following the rejection and public outcry against now Labor Minister Cooper W. Kruah at the results of for several complaints against him for ethical misconduct before the Grievance and Ethics Committee of the Judiciary.
The Justice Minister is yet to have an acquaintance with state prosecutors mainly County Attorneys in rural Liberia to know their challenges and how they can tackle those challenges confronting them by prevailing on the Ministry on the of Finance and Development Planning to provide prosecution funds in order for cases to be prosecuted prosecutors complained of their new head.
It’s somehow clear that prosecutors are walking on the same path they walked in during the past regime by not providing prosecution funds for state prosecutors to prosecute cases which is causing serious hindrance to their work daily.
One of the prosecutors in rural Liberia said, lack of prosecution fund and logistics to prosecute cases of urgent need is a violation of the rights of those who are held in detention.