Supreme Court of Liberia’s Associate Justice, Jamesetta Howard Wolokolie, has ruled in favor of Representative Yekeh Kolubah in the case involving him and the House of Representatives for proceeding to arbitrarily withhold his salary and benefits for the month of June 2021.
Justice Wolokolie stated that the action of the House was in violation of the court’s mandate, pointing out that the Supreme Court therefore orders that the respondent, House of Representatives, pays to the informant, Representative Kolubah, his salary and all benefits that accrued to him for the month of June 2021.
Justice Wolokolie also added that a bill of information will lie to prevent a judge or any judicial officer from attempting to execute the mandate of the Supreme Court in an improper manner.
Justice Wolokolie indicated that the Supreme Court has found that the respondent, contrary to its letter written to the informant on July 19, 2021, and without a hearing to afford the informant his due process right, as agreed to by the parties in the conference of July 14, 2021 with Justice Joseph Nagbe, willfully withheld petitioner’s salary and benefits for June 2021, contrary to the court’s mandate.
It can be recalled that the informant, Representative Yekeh Kolubah, a lawmaker and member of the 54th House of Representatives, was suspended by the respondent, House of Representatives, on May 18, 2021, for a period of sixteen meeting days and denied all salaries and benefits for that period.
However, Representative Kolubah complained that such decision by the respondent was unfair and illegal, as he was not afforded due process when he was suspended on May 18, 2021. The respondent denied the assertion made by the informant, countering that the informant was given due process before he was suspended.
The respondent attached documents, such as letters that were written to the informant by its committee on rules, order band Administration, bringing to the informants attention a complaint that had been filed against him by his colleague, Representative Thomas Fallah, for his alleged constant, direct and egregious behavior exhibited against the Liberian presidency and the President, George M. Weah, and inviting him to a meeting.