LIBERIA – Liberians were shocked on Tuesday, June 21, when Senators who should defend the integrity and uphold the rule of law, disgustingly covered up the unlawful spending of over 20 Million United States Dollars of special funds set aside by law, for the maintenance and construction of roads in the country.
The citizens expressed anger against their senators for approving and legitimizing “A crime allegedly committed by Finance Minister Samuel Tweah.”
During random interviews conducted with citizens in Monrovia shortly after the senate’s vote, they said “The law is the law, and that it was not within the powers of the senators to legitimate a crime simply because it was committed by a Finance Minister.”
They told Smart News Liberia the senate vote was embarrassing and shameful.
They added that as long as the Road Funds law was not amended by the senators before the finance minister took the action, he has committed a crime against the state and people for which he must be dismissed and prosecuted.”
Other senators voted against the approval of Finance Minister Tweah’s alleged violation.
Senators Nyonblee Karngar-Lawrence of Grand Bassa County said “It is clear that approving such a transaction after the fact is wrong and may make legislators who approved such illegal act criminally liable tomorrow.”
Senator Karnga-Lawrence said the majority of Senators who voted aided and abetted the finance minister in committing the alleged crime.
She accused her colleagues of being criminally liable when they voted to approve the Minister of Finance’s assertion that the legislature approved the redirection of funds, meant exclusively for the maintenance of roads, to other expenditure categories.
The Grand Bassa County Senator had told other media that the Senate has been allegedly compromised and lacks independence.
She said the senators who voted to approve such wrong action can be possibility held criminally for verbally approving the redirection of public funds which were set aside by law.
“It is clear that approving such a transaction after the fact is wrong and may make legislators who approved such an illegal act criminally liable tomorrow.
“First of all, the Legislature does not give verbal authorization, neither does the President Pro-tempore of the Senate, nor the Speaker have such authority to do so, as such action when legal, must be taken by majority votes in plenary supported by a resolution signed by the majority. ”
Montserrado County’s senator Darius Dillon said he resisted the temptation to cover up the Finance Minister and voted against the scheme and condemned his colleagues’ action.
The controversial Yekeh Kolubah, a member of the House Representatives also condemned the senators’ action for backing the finance minister.
Appearing on a local radio recently, Rep. Kolubah said the action of the Senators was pointless because the vote has no legal bearing on the Finance Minister’s “Criminal” action.
Rep. Kolubah said Tweah needed a joint resolution of the two Houses of the legislature to act; adding that by the vote, the Liberian senate was simply making fool of the Liberian people and the very Finance Minister they tried to help.
