Liberia: Battle for LP Goes to Court
.... Arrest Warrant Issued for Chairman, SG
The Monrovia City Court has issued an arrest warrant for the chairman of the Liberty Party Musa Bility and its Secretary General Martin Kollah for alleged Forgery, Criminal Conspiracy and Criminal Facilitation.
It says further that "the alleged act of the defendants being unlawful, criminal, illegal and intentional is in violation of section 15.70, 10.2. and 10.36 of the New Penal Law of Liberia there and then the crimes herein the defendants did do and commit."
"You are hereby commanded to arrest the living bodies of Musa Hassan Bility and Martin S. Kollah, to be identified, defendants and forthwith bring them to the Monrovia City Magisterial Court, Temple of Justice, to answer to the crimes of Forgery, Criminal Conspiracy, and Criminal Facilitation, based upon the oath and complaint of the Republic of Liberia by & thru the Ministerial Officer, the plaintiff in which it is substantially alleged."
Meanwhile, Bility and Kollah have responded to the suit filed by the Republic of Liberia by and through Romeo Coker, Jeremy Russell, and Napoleon H. Weah of the City of Monrovia via their lawyers.
The writ against Bility and Kollah comes after their expulsion from the party at the end of a convention in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, during which the group found Bility and others blameworthy for sowing divisions and bringing the party into disrepute.
They were expelled by a faction of the party loyal to its political leader Sen. Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence as part of a power struggle.
However, despite Bility and Kollah being expelled, the National Election Commission continues to recognize him (Bility) as the chair of the Liberty Party, as well as the constitution that brought him to that position.
This is despite Bility’s chairmanship being nullified by the party's political leader following an investigation, which claims that "the convention that brought the expelled chairman to power was fraudulently conducted."
Prior to that, Bility suspended the political leader and Senator Dillon along with some partisans for not having paid their party dues.
The suspension was never enforced, nor was the nullification of Bility’s chairmanship since the electoral body continues to recognize Bility as chair and Sen. Karngar Lawrence as political leader.
With Bility's expulsion and a countermeasure expected, the wounds of division will continue deepening with either faction of the party trying to undo the other as it has been for the last 8 months, an issue that might not be resolved anytime soon.
The internal crisis in the Liberty Party is deeply rooted in conflicting interests between Bility and the Karnga-Lawrence in terms of who to support externally – whether it means Joseph Boakai of the Unity Party, or Alexander B. Cummings, of the Alternative National Congress.
The LP political leader appears to be leaning towards Boakai, while Bility supports Cummings.
Meanwhile, the suit against Bility and Kollah claimed that in January of last year, the defendants, with the intent to deceive the membership and Partisans of the Liberty Party as well as the "public, connived conspired, and purposely, criminally and intentionally did alter the Constitution of the Liberty Party after its convention and submitted the said documents to the National Elections Commission, knowing fully well that they were not authorized to so do, neither were they the conveners of the said convention with wicked and criminal intent."