PHOTO: Cllr. Syrenius Cephus, Liberia’s Solicitor General
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Liberia’s Solicitor General Cllr. Syrenius Cephus has hinted that the CDC g, government may not implement the ruling of the ECOWAS Court of Justice arising out of Justice Kabineh Ja’neh’s wrongful impeachment case.
Since the regional court handed down its ruling almost a year ago in favor of Justice Ja’neh, ordering the Government of Liberia to reinstate him and to give him USD 200,000 in compensation, the Government is yet to implement any of the Court’s order.
Instead of reinstating the impeached legal practitioner, it nominated and subsequently appointed his replacement.
The victim is also yet to be given his compensation of $200,000 as mandated, as well, by the ECOWAS Court.
Speaking to the Liberia Broadcasting System at the weekend (Friday, August 6, 2021), Cllr. Cephus instead opted for a revision of the judgment of the regional court.
In November 2020, the President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice Edward Moako Asante, warned that Liberia risks being slapped with sanction if it fails to fully implement the court’s ruling.
In March 2019, former Associate Justice Jan’eh was impeached by the Legislature for granting a restraining petition as prayed for by petroleum dealers in the country to stop the government from collecting levy/taxes of US$0.25 (road fund) imposed on the pump price of petroleum products.
Justice Ja’neh subsequently filed an exception to his impeachment with the ECOWAS Court in Abuja
On Tuesday, November 20, 2020, the Court ordered the Republic of Liberia to pay him US$200, 000 as reparation for moral prejudice suffered for the violation of his rights.
The Court also ordered the Liberian government, “to restore, calculate and pay to the Applicant all withheld entitlements, including” salaries, allowances and pension benefits from the date of his impeachment to the date of notification of this judgment”.