LIBERIA – The Executive Chairperson of Liberia Anti-corruption Commission Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin has petitioned the Country highest court-the Supreme Court of Liberia challenging critical provisions of the recently passed amended and the re-stated act of the LACC.
In his petition filed before the Supreme Court, Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin argued that provisions of the new act are discriminatory and totally against the 1986 constitution of Liberia and therefore should not be allowed to stand.
Petitioner Martin said sections 16.1 and 16.2 of the new LACC Act passed by the Legislature in July 2022 was a clear and flagrant violation of the principles and doctrine of expo facto law as enshrined in article 21 of the 1986 constitution of the Republic of Liberia.
Martin called on the Supreme Court of Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh to place a prohibition on the respondent by restraining, and enjoining said respondents from enforcing sections 16.1 and 16.2 of the act to amend and re-state the LACC act of 2022.
He said the law passed by the legislature on July 22, 2022, can not affect him as he was nominated, confirmed, and appointed by the president for a period of five years before the passage of the law, and therefore the law is expo facto.
Martin told the Supreme Court that the decision by the Legislature to pass such an act meant that they were taking on to themselves dismissing him which is legally the responsibility of the President.
The Country’s Anti-Corruption Chief said he can only be removed for gross breach of duty, misconduct in office, or any proven act of corruption as enshrined in article 6.8 of the 2008 act creating the LACC.
Cllr. Martin’s petition is yet the first test for the Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh bench as she has in recent times promised to uphold the rule of law.
