Liberia: Senate Investigates NEC Legal Officer
Teage Jalloh
.... “Accordingly, he (Jalloh) has not been admitted to the Supreme Court Bar as counselor-at-law,” said Senator Karnga-Lawrence, who also chairs the Committee on Rules, Order, and Administration. “On the strength of the same law denying him admission, Mr. Jalloh is absolutely unqualified to practice in Liberia until his citizenship issue is resolved. As things stand, he is merely a law school graduate and not a lawyer.”
Two of the Liberian Senate's statutory committees have been mandated to investigate the National Elections Commission's legal officer's “purported” academic qualifications.
The probe into Teage Jalloh comes as Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence has informed her colleagues that the NEC lawyer is unfit and unqualified for the job.
“The terms of reference of legal officers entail providing legal advice or opinion to the Board of Commissioners, which is the ultimate decision making platform at NEC. Section 2.16 of the Electoral Law requires the Legal Officer to be at least a counselor-at-law,” Karnga-Lawrence said.
“The said provision expressly states that ‘Except a research officer who may be an attorney-at-law, anyone appointed as legal counsel must be a qualified lawyer and a counselor-at-Law, and must have practiced for not less than five years prior to his or her appointment,” she added.
Jalloh however lacks all of the conditions outlined, Karnga-Lawrence said as she called for his dismissal. The Grand Bassa Senator, who is the third most influential person in the Senate, recalled that the NEC lawyer has on two occasions filed his admittance to the Supreme Court Bar, saying some years ago he denied the issue of his citizenship.
According to her, Jalloh's latest petition was again denied by the Supreme Court Bar due to his purported inability to show his academic criteria to be accepted as a counselor-at-law.
“Accordingly, he (Jalloh) has not been admitted to the Supreme Court Bar as counselor-at-law,” said the Senator Karnga-Lawrence, who also chairs the Committee on Rules, Order, and Administration. “On the strength of the same law denying him admission, Mr. Jalloh is absolutely unqualified to practice in Liberia until his citizenship issue is resolved. As things stand, he is merely a law school graduate and not a lawyer.”
The Senate, after hearing the complaint, voted to have its Committee on Autonomous Commissions, and Judiciary investigate and report back within two weeks. The inquiry by the Committee will look into whether the claim against Jalloh is accurate and, if so, what action should be taken against him.
“I am herewith soliciting the intervention of this August body in ensuring that Mr Jalloh is immediately removed from the position of Legal Officer of NEC in adherence to the laws we made,” the Grand Bassa Senator said.
Meanwhile, Jalloh is yet to respond to any of these concerns raised by Senator Karnga-Lawrence.