The leadership of the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) has condemned the recent brutal attack meted against one of its National Executive Council members, Cllr. Kukuyon Wleh-Teh, by men believed to be workers of the Bea Mountain in the King Jor Area, Grand Cape County.
The Bar unconditionally called on the Ministry of Justice to arrest, investigate and immediately prosecute perpetrators to deter others who might desire to engage in a similar conduct. According to the LNBA, as a result of the unwarranted, unprovoked and senseless attack on Cllr. Kukuyon Wleh-Teh, he suffered multiple cuts and bruises and had to spend days in the hospital after the mob action, clearly carried out by some yet-to-be-identified attackers.
In a release issued June 13, 2023, the LNBA said, “From information in its possession, Cllr. Kukuyon Wleh-Teh, a member of the Bar and one of legal counsels of Bea Mountain Mining Corporation, upon an invitation from said client traveled to the New Liberty site on Friday, June 2, 2023 to address some pertinent legal issues. While visiting the mining concession area, on June 3, 2023 Cllr. Wleh-Teh was informed by the General Manager of Bea Mountain, Mr. Reza Karimiyan, about an accident which had taken place in the concession area that needed their attention. Upon arrival on the scene of the accident, the management was advised by Cllr. Wleh-Teh to contact the police, which was done without delay. On the same June 3, 2023, the management learned that an unidentified worker was inciting workers to stop work without any notice or justification. On Sunday, June 4, 2023 while at the power station, Cllr. Kukuyon Wleh-Teh was brutally attacked by a group of workers in a well-calculated and premeditated fashion to kill.”
The LNBA, in the release, said, “If lawyers who represent their clients under the circumstance described herein are not safe, no citizen will consider his or her life and properties to be safe under any rule-of-law regime.” In addition, the Bar asserted that these attacks will cause unimaginable and inordinate delay in the administration of justice and impact negatively on the livelihoods of members of the Bar, many of whom are litigators.
“The LNBA shall firmly resist any attempt by anti-rule of law elements to return the legal profession to the dark days where lawyers conducted their professional affairs in fear. The Bar reminds citizens that lawyers are not their enemies or opponents, as they only aid the administration of justice, and the courts of law still remain the lawful and civil forum to ultimately resolve conflict.
“The LNBA, meanwhile, is urging its members to remain security conscious while carrying out their activities. The LNBA leadership at the same time calls on the Ministry of Justice to always protect members of the Bar by making efforts to apprehend and bring to justice anyone who violates the rights of lawyers,” the release stated.
In a related development, the LNBA has called on employers around the country to conduct themselves in ways that will improve industrial relations among tripartite constituents, which include government, employees and employers. “This can only be achieved from negotiation and signing of collective bargaining agreements (CBA) between employers and employees with attestation by government, consistent with law. An effective collective bargaining agreement will always preserve the rights and interests of tripartite constituents and minimize the incidence of conflicts in work places around the country,” the release added.
