MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The Supreme Court of Liberia, presided over by Justice in Chambers Ceaineh Clinton-Johnson, on Thursday heard arguments on a petition for a writ of mandamus filed by seven members of the 55th House of Representatives.
The lawmakers, Representatives Abu Kamara, Marvin Cole, Frank Saah Foko, Edward Papie Flomo, Eugene Kollie, Alex Noah, and Zinnah Norman, are seeking the court’s intervention to compel the Minister of Finance and Development Planning and the Comptroller of the House of Representatives to release their salaries and benefits. They argue that their compensation has been unlawfully withheld under instructions from the self-styled “Majority Bloc.”
The petitioners, who are members of the Minority Bloc, claim they were duly elected on October 10, 2023, and sworn into office on January 15, 2024. They assert that they are entitled to their full salaries and benefits as appropriated in the national budget and that the refusal to pay them violates their constitutional rights.
According to the lawmakers, the Minister of Finance and the House Comptroller have a legal duty to execute payments as outlined in the national budget. They argue that withholding their salaries without due process is a violation of Articles 25 and 20(a) of the Liberian Constitution. Article 25 prohibits the impairment of contractual obligations, while Article 20(a) guarantees due process and protects against the unlawful deprivation of entitlements.
“The Minister of Finance and the Comptroller are obligated to ensure all lawmakers receive their rightful salaries and benefits regardless of political disagreements,” the petitioners stated. They further argued that the continued withholding of their pay defies the Supreme Court’s authority and undermines the rule of law.
In response, the Ministry of Finance denied the allegations, asserting that it does not directly disburse salaries to individual lawmakers but provides allotments to government institutions as requested.
The petitioners are urging the Supreme Court to issue a peremptory writ of mandamus, compelling the immediate payment of their salaries and benefits. They are also seeking any other legal and equitable relief the court may find appropriate.
