Liberia Roundup: Budget extension, Finance Minister wanted, US sanctions
Finance Minister Samuel Tweah declared wanted
The House of Representatives has issued an arrest order for Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, declaring him a wanted person for non-compliance with two contempt charges. Lofa County District Representative, Francis Nyumalin, proposed a motion to declare Tweah "wanted," GNN Liberia reported. “Honorable Speaker, Co-presiding and colleagues, I move, if I could obtain a second, that a communication be sent to the Finance Minister, from the office of our Chief Clerk, that he appear here on Thursday, at 10 AM with his lawyer to show reason why he should not be held in contempt,” Nyumalin said. The motion aims to compel the Finance Minister's appearance on Thursday at 10am to address the contempt charges. Failure to comply with legislative functions or obstructing members can lead to a fine or imprisonment, as per the House's rules.
U.S. sanctions Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has imposed sanctions on 20 individuals for their involvement in human rights abuses across nine countries. Monrovia City Mayor and Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Secretary General, Jefferson Koijee, is among those sanctioned. “Koijee is being designated for being a foreign person who is responsible for or complicit in, or who has directly or indirectly engaged in, serious human rights abuse and for being a foreign person who is a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or who has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery pursuant to E.O. 13818,” the report by the US Treasury Department read in part.
Unity Party requests postponement certification
The Unity Party has formally requested the National Elections Commission (NEC) to postpone the certification of President-elect Joseph Boakai due to his travel to the United States. Boakai's visit has prompted the party to seek a rescheduling of the certification, originally planned for December 8, 2023, FrontPage Africa Online reports. “Unity Party has officially informed the National Elections Commission (NEC) that due to the visit of the President-elect to the United States of America, the issuance of certificate for the winner of the November 14, 2023 Presidential election, planned for Friday, December 8, 2023, should be postponed until the return of President-elect Joseph Nyuma Boakai. The Party will work with NEC to schedule a new date for the issuance of the certificate for the President and Vice president-elect,” a UP statement read.
Budget presentation extension
President George Weah has secured the Senate's endorsement for a 10-day extension in their sitting to address pending issues faced by the outgoing government. The extension, beginning on December 11, 2023, and concluding on December 22, 2023, is intended to provide more time for the submission of the 2024 National Draft Budget, FrontPage Africa Online reports. The extension also aims to address other critical matters during this transitional period.
Liberia Legal Aid Conference accreditation
The Ohio Supreme Court in the United States has accredited the Second National Legal Aid Conference recently held in Monrovia. The National Legal Aid Conference, organized by the Center for Legal Aid Support Services (CLASS), received accreditation from the Ohio Court's Commission on Continuing Legal Education, the New Dawn Liberia has reported. The conference, initiated by CLASS, aims to promote legal aid development in Liberia.
