By Bill W. Cooper
The plenary of the Liberian Senate has instructed its Committees on Autonomous and Judiciary to investigate the alleged fraudulent academic credentials of the Legal Officer of the National Elections Commission (NEC).
The plenary, during its regular Tuesday sitting instructed the Committees to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the citizenship and academic credentials of Teage Jaloh, who is the current NEC’s Legal Officer.
The Senate’s decision was triggered following a communication from Grand Bassa County Senator, Senator, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, who described as a “mere law school graduate”, unfit and not a qualified lawmaker to serve as Legal Officer of the NEC.
Additionally, the body through a motion from Sinoe County Senator, Augustine Chea following the reading of the communication further requested the Committees to report to plenary in the period of two weeks, but should update the body in the first week of the investigation.
Senator Lawrence, in her communication drew her colleagues’ attention to the credibility; competency and qualification of the NEC’s Legal Officer that is responsible to advise the NEC on legality of election-dispute matters.
The Grand Bassa County Senator recounted that some years ago, Teage Jalloh applied for admission to the Supreme Court Bar to be accredited as Counselor-At-Law but was denied on the issue of his citizenship.
Additionally, she maintained that Jalloh was also rejected in keeping with Chapter 17.1 of the New Judiciary Law of Liberia which states: “A person applying for admission to the Bar as an attorney must be a citizen of the Republic, and have attained the age of twenty-one years and be examined and licensed to practice as prescribed in this chapter.”
According to her, the NEC Legal Officer’s recent petition for admission to the Supreme Court Bar was again rejected by the Supreme Court for reportedly failing to present his academic requirement to be admitted as Counselor-At-Law.
She indicated, “Mr. Jalloh has not been admitted to the Supreme Court Bar as Counselor-At-Law, and on that basis, he is absolutely unqualified to practice law in Liberia until his citizenship and credential issues are resolved.”
Senator Lawrence who is also the political leader of the Liberty Party (LP) stressed further that the position of a Legal Officer at NEC is very key and consequential to the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections in the country.
She noted that the terms of reference of the Legal Officer entails providing legal advice or opinion to the Board of Commissioners which is the ultimate decision-making platform at the NEC.
Senator Lawrence indicated that it is in this regard that Section 2.16 of the Elections Law requires the Legal Officer of the NEC to be at least a Counselor-At-Law.
She stressed, “Consistent with our oversight responsibility and duty to ensure that the upcoming elections are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner, I am herewith soliciting the intervention of this august body in ensuring that Mr. Jalloh is immediately removed from the position of Legal Officer at NEC in adherence to the laws we made.”
“I am proposing that the Chairperson of the Board of Commissioners of the NEC is invited before plenary to explain why the Commission under her leadership has elected to act in fragrant violation of the laws and is unmindful of how crucial their work is to the peace and security of this country,” the Senator added.
