The tale of President George M. Weah’s last rush appointments becomes very interesting everyday with the mixed political and legal issues that engulf the Liberian Senate and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Liberia.
President Weah’s recent decision to nominate Cllr. Frank Musa Dean to the Supreme Court as an Associate Justice, and Atty. Dr. Samora P. Z. Wolokolie to the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) as Commissioner General continues to stir legal and political debates in all corners across the country.
The Unity Party (UP) has formally challenged the nomination and confirmation of both Cllr. Dean and Dr. Wolokolie by filing petitions for writs of prohibition before the Supreme Court, where Justice Jamesetta Howard Wolokolie is the presiding Justice in Chambers, clothed with the authority to decide the petitions.
In the case of Cllr. Frank Musah Dean, Justice Wolokolie has issued a prohibition to put halt to Dean’s nomination and confirmation. The petition against Cllr. Dean essentially contends that there is no vacancy on the Supreme Court Bench, in that Justice Joseph Nagbe still occupies the position.
It remains unclear whether the Senate will proceed to conduct the confirmation hearing of Cllr. Dean in an attempt to check the Supreme Court for what some legal scholars refer to as an overreach by the court. One legal luminary argues that by this precedent it means “the court can dictate when the Legislature should stand, walk or run”. Another says it means the court can suspend or terminate functions of the Legislature or the Executive.
Still further to its quest to reserve these positions for the next administration to make these appointments, the Unity Party (UP) has also filed another prohibition against the nomination and confirmation of Dr. Samora P. Z. Wolokolie. Though the writ is not yet issued on ground that Associate Justice Wolokolie was absent from her Chambers when the petition was filed, it remains unclear whether she will entertain this matter, noting the apparent conflict of interest.
The Hot Pepper has gathered that Justice Wolokolie is married to Dr. Samora P. Z. Wolokolie’s father, Dusty Wolokolie, making her his stepmother. Justice Wolokolie has a child by Dusty [not Samora]. Samora’s biological mother is Jemima Wolokolie, but in African culture once a man marries a woman she becomes the mother of all of his children, regardless who the biological mother is.
In addition to being Wolokolie’s stepmother, Justice Wolokolie is also the older sister to the late Thomas Doe-Nah who previously occupied the position of Commissioner General before his demise. In fact, it is reported that the Justice travelled to India couple of times to visit Doe-Nah during the period of his illness. It is even reported that she was in India or had just left India when he died.
Among other family members, this paper has gathered that Justice Wolokolie has expressed dissatisfaction over the nomination of Dr. Samora P. Z. Wolokollie prior to laying her brother to rest. The Family thinks such an appointment is not appropriate considering the timing. Key family members and friends have also publicly expressed the same view.
Legal luminaries have declared Justice Wolokolie unfit to hear the case involving her son and, as such, are calling for her recusal from the case in other for another Supreme Cour Justice to look into the matter.
Associate Justice Wolokolie also stands accused of being a former Vice Chairperson of the Unity Party (UP)—the plaintiff in the legal battle.
They say being a former official of the Unity Party (the complainant) and the mother to Atty. Samora Wolokolie (the defendant) are sufficient reasons for her recusal for another Justice to hear the matter, or she may unintentionally prejudice the case.
