-Now depending on Presidential probe outcome
-As they close Extraordinary Session, Speaker Chambers denies 2018/2019 Budget falsification
By Mark N. Mengonfia, mmenginfia@gmail.com
The Liberian Legislature has officially closed its extraordinary session, leaving the missing billions issue unresolved and waiting to see the report of the special presidential investigation team.
But the Lawmakers are said to have passed a number of legislations including the renaming of Bali Island as Mahatma Ghandi Island and approving the Indian government’s commitment to build a huge international conference center on the Island and develop it.
Senate President Pro Tempore, Grand Kru County Senator Albert T. Chie told Journalists on Tuesday that the lawmakers did not have enough time during this special session to conclude its own investigations into the reported mysterious disappearance of over 15 billion Liberian dollar banknotes.
“The time was short to establish if money is missing,” Pro Temp Chie told a news conference right after the close of the extraordinary session on Tuesday.
Senate Pro Tempore Albert Chie
Members of both the Liberian Senate and the House of Representatives in November convened an extraordinary session to discuss what they termed as major issues in the Liberian society.
They assembled at Capitol Hill from October 29 to December 4, 2018, but could not reaching conclusion on the impeachment process of Justice Kabineh Ja’neh and the missing nearly 16 billion dollars.
Addressing a press conference with legislative reporters, Pro Tempore Albert Chie indicated that they could not have completed their investigations into the alleged missing billions on grounds that they had limited time to have gone through such an investigation in the period of one month.
When quizzed as to whether their one-month extraordinary session was not a waste of time and resources, the Pro- Tempore answered with a local parable by asking: ‘if a person sends their child to school and that child stops to 9th grade, is it that the child has not learned?’
Senator Chie then told reporters that the Lawmakers will await the already ongoing investigation being conducted by the independent investigators.
Additionally, Pro- Tempore Chea said that the issue with Justice Ja’neh will be looked into upon their return in January.
According to him, they are looking at all of the processes leading to impeachment before starting the impeachment proceeding in keeping with laws.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Dr. Bohfal Chambers has denied that there was manipulation of the 2018/2019 national fiscal budget after it was approved by Plenary before being printed into handbill.
Speaker Bohfal Chambers
Outcry was raised recently by some Lawmakers about alleged manipulation of the 2018/2019 national fiscal budget that had already been approved by Plenary continues to ring in the House of Representatives.
One of the Lawmakers who initially raised the red flag is Nimba County District #5 Lawmaker, Samuel G. Kogar. His complaint about budget manipulation was not placed on the agenda during last Friday’s discussions, thus forcing plenary into executive session.
Rep. Kogar and other lawmakers on the 15 of October, 2018 communicated with House Speaker, Dr. Chambers about the manipulation carried out by members of the Ways, Means, Finance and Development Planning Committee. But they said that since that time, the Speaker is yet to come out with an outcome of the complaint.
Other Representatives were Francis S. Dopoe, II of River Gee District #3, Tibelrosa S. Tarpowel of Margi County District #1, Dr. George S. Boley of Grand Gedeh district#2, J. Melvin Cole of Bong district#3, Mambu M. Sonnie of Grand Cape Mount district#2, P. Mike Jurry of Maryland district #1, Matthew Zarzar of Sinoe District #3, Rosana G.D. Schaack of River Cess District #1, Hans Barchue of Grand Bassa District#1 and Nathaniel N. Bahnway, Sr. of District #1 Grand Kru.