By Bill W. Cooper
Nimba County District 8 Representative, Larry P. Younquoi has reaffirmed his decision to support the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia.
The Nimba County lawmaker intoned that the courts, when established will help bring some level of transparency and accountability in the governance system of the country as well as serve as deterrence for Liberians who will want to get in the act of committing similar crimes.
Speaking yesterday, when he appeared as guest on
the ‘Morning Rush’ on Ok FM, Rep. Younquoi maintained that it is time for those who may have allegedly committed hideous crimes against humanity to face justice as means of either paying or vindicating themselves of crimes being accused of.
He explained that it sometimes baffles him to see individuals whose names were mentioned in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report being hailed and paid with elected positions without them being subjects for justice; something he said, is leading to the too many overnight or secret killings in the country.
Rep. Younquoi indicated that gone are days when peaceful citizens will be murdered and the country looted while the perpetrators walk away with impunity, noting, “Because I will not rest or relinquish my quest until the War and Economic Crimes Court is established.”
The Nimba County District 8 lawmaker added, “The establishment of these courts in Liberia will at least help our already ‘politicized and weak’ Justice system in prosecuting those who committed crimes against humanity as well as the looting of the country’s resources because I feel very sad and vex to see alleged perpetrators of the civil war and corrupt officials of government still moving about freely without any insignia of remorse and bragging about what they did in the past.”
“Since the citizens petitioned the Legislature, I am one of the over 54 Representatives who signed the resolution for the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia and that is because I believe it is the only way that we will not have people boasting about their actions which have drastically affected the country’s growth and forward march,” he stressed.
Rep. Younquoi further pointed out, “Many times the survivors and victims of the country’s 14-year civil unrest reminds them about those dark days especially when they see those individuals that plunged this country and its citizens into what it is today, living in luxury and boasting of their action without any remorse.”
He however accused House Speaker, Bhofal Chambers of being the mastermind behind the continuous delay in setting-up the War and Economic Crimes Court, averring, “Because any time we prayed the Speaker to place it on the agenda for discussion, he normally doesn’t do it and that is how we have been since then, but, all I can say is that I will not rest until justice is served to all.”
It can be recalled that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), a parliament-enacted organization was created in May of 2005 under the Transitional government, as the Commission did their work throughout the first mandate of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, after her election as President of Liberia in November of 2005 as well.
Furthermore, the TRC came to conclusion of its work in 2010 thus filing a final report and recommendations calling for relevant actions by national authorities to ensure responsibility and reparations but up-to-date, there has/have been no actions of implementation of the document despite the huge resources invested into said process.