By Peter Toby
Amidst public outcry over his integrity and the withdrawal of his license to practice law, the Supreme Court of Liberia has lifted the suspension of Justice Minister designate Cllr. Charles Gibson, after restituting his client, Anwar Saoud’s US$25,000.00,
This follows Cllr. Gibson’s five-count Petition to the Court pleading for the restoration of his license to practice law in Liberia.
The amount was paid on January 9, 2018 through a Manager’s Check at the Liberia Bank of Development and Investment, according to the Court.
Gibson’s license was suspended in February 2017 for ethical reason because he duped his client, a Lebanese businessman Anwar Saoud who owns the GECCO company in Monrovia.
But Chief Justice Francis Korpkor on Thursday granted Counsellor Gibson’s plea and later restored his license to practice in all Courts in Country despite questioning his prolonged delay.
Cllr Gibson was one of the first five ministerial appointments made by President George Manneh Weah subject to Senate confirmation shortly after his inauguration as Liberia’s 24th President on Monday.
But eyebrows were raised over his integrity.
The local FrontpageAfrica newspaper first published the scandal regarding his ethical problem that led to his suspension by the Supreme Court Bar.
But Gibson denied that he duped his client.
“Cllr. T.C. Gould and I handled one of the cases and GECCO paid Cllr. Gould but repeating deferred payment to me on appeal and I should wait for the final payment from Global Bank. Cllr. Thompson Jargba and Cllr. Joseph Constance assisted three of the seven cases,” the paper reported on Wednesday.
Gibson said in June 2014, the final payment was received in the amount of US$31,653.33 – the usual 20 percent legal fee (US$6,330.66) was collected thus leaving a balance of US$25,322.
FrontpageAfrica further said that Cllr. Gibson said thereafter it was discovered that GECCO still had an outstanding of US$9,000 for him from earlier collection in March 2014.