Liberia: Is Boakai Replacing Leaders of War Crimes Office?

Monrovia — Last month, Liberia’s 177th Independence Day Orator, Dr. Robtel Pailey, urged President Boakai to withdraw the appointment of the WECC Executive Director Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi because he was “selected under dubious circumstances.”

Liberian President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has established a committee to reconstitute the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) leadership.

President Boakai’s decision to vet candidates to lead the WECC office comes after Liberia’s 177th Independence Day Orator Dr. Robtel Pailey said the WECC Executive Director Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi was selected under dubious circumstances.

Liberia’s Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah announced the new vetting committee during a press briefing at the Ministry of Information in Monrovia on Thursday, August 15, 2024.

In the oration delivered on July 26, 2024, Dr. Paiely urged President Boakai to withdraw the nomination and not allow politicking to derail one of the most important appointments of his tenure.

She further urged him to staff the office with upstanding Liberian human rights defenders, many of whom have been advocating in the trenches for decades.

According to Minister Piah, the vetting committee announced Thursday that it will recruit and vet candidates to lead the WECC office, which was created under President Boakai’s Executive Order #131.

Consequently, the office is responsible for setting up a Special War Crimes Court and an Anti-Corruption Court for Liberia.

Since the creation of the office, Minister Piah noted that there has been public and international debate regarding the process [of selecting its leadership].

As a result, Piah emphasized the government’s commitment to making the process more inclusive to ensure that both Liberian and international stakeholders are comfortable with the proceedings.

On the other hand, President Boakai has appointed a search and vetting committee comprising various organizations.

Specifically, the committee includes the Ministry of Justice (as Chair), the National Civil Society Council of Liberia, and a national non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on transitional justice.

The committee includes members from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations Office in Liberia, and the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR).

The Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA), the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia, and the African Union Mission to Liberia are on the committee.

The committee is tasked with recruiting, vetting, and recommending three candidates with proven integrity, expertise in Liberian constitutional and criminal law, and the ability to collaborate with the international community and the Liberian public.

This role will be crucial in developing the mechanisms, procedures, and processes necessary for the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Courts.

Ultimately, President Boakai’s decision to reconstitute the office’s leadership reflects his commitment to ensuring that the establishment of these courts undergoes thorough public scrutiny and remains transparent.