PHOTO: Skeletal remains of the E.J. Roy Building, TWP HQ in Monrovia
The grand old True Whig Party (PWP) has filed a law suit against the Liberian government over forceful seizure of property to the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, as Augustine Octavius reports.
TWP ruled Liberia for over one hundred years until April 12, 1980, when the ruling TWP government of President William R. Tolbert was overthrown in a bloody military coup.
The former ruling TWP is therefore demanding ten million United States Dollars for alleged violation of its rights to the property, including its headquarters following the coup staged by the defunct People’s Redemption Council in 1980.
The TWP, which was registered in 1869 as a full-fledged political party, said in its application, that the confiscation also violated its rights to fair hearing and equality to the law in violation of the provisions of the Articles 1, 2, 3 14 and 19 of the African Chapter of Human and People’s Rights and Articles 2 8, and 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights .
The application filed November 3, 2021, the TWP submitted that the People’s Redemption Council confiscated it’s headquarter known as the E. J. Roye building named in honor of the country’s fifth President , who was overthrown in 1871 and later died.
The lead counsel of the TWP, Femi Falana stated that other properties belonging to the political party were also seized and the military government’s PRC issued military degree such as degree 11 to legitimize the seizures.
The lawyer added that between 2006 and 2007, the Liberian government quietly offered to buy the headquarters building for 600,000 United States Dollars but party members resisted a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with some former officials of the TWP and bought the asset for 130,000 United States Dollars .
The TWP’s legal counsel pointed out that the memorandum of understanding could not be regarded as binding since the purported TWP officials tenure in office expired prior to the MOU with the government.
Among other things, the TWP is in the suit asking the court to determine the alleged branch of the rights to property by the forceful takeover of its properties and it’s entitlement to relief sought.
The party added that the confiscation of its property was without justification and adequate compensation of its property was without justification and adequate compensation with the provision of the Liberian Constitution.
TWP is therefore seeking the orders of the court declaring that the forceful takeover of the E. J. Roye Building violated its rights to fair hearing and equality of the law.
According to the TWP, the Liberian government failed its obligation to investigate and prosecute its armed agent who looted its property and directed the Liberian authority to hand back the building and 10 million United States Dollars as general damage for these violations
There has been no date fix for the hearing of the case between the Liberian government and the party that ruled Liberia for over a century.