Liberia: Leaked Letter from Judicial Inquiry Committee Vindicates Commercial Court Judge Eva Mappy in MOTC Case
Liberia: Leaked Letter from Judicial Inquiry Committee Vindicates Commercial Court Judge Eva Mappy in MOTC Case
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Monrovia – A leaked letter seen by this paper has put a new twist to the protracted saga involving Mr. Amos T.K Brosius and Judge Eva Mappy Morgan, Chief Judge of the Commercial Court at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.
The letter, which authentication has been duly established, was written by Associate Justice Yusuf D. Kaba, who is also chair of the Judiciary Inquiry Commission.
Addressed to Chief Justice Francis Korkpor, the letter informs the Chief Justice about the outcome of the Judiciary Inquiry Committee’s investigation into the complaint filed by Mr. Brosius.
As some Supreme Court lawyers back off
The argument as to whether the Judiciary Inquiry Commission’s (JIC) recommendation for the Supreme Court to suspend Judge Eva Mappy Morgan for a year without pay and benefits is taking a dramatic turn as some of the lawyers appointed to represent the high court have declined the appointment.
The argument has been scheduled for hearing on Thursday, May 27, at 11am.
The JIC, the Supreme Court’s disciplinary commission for judges, after eight months of Investigation on Wednesday, April 7 said, Judge “Eva Mappy Morgan, respondent, recklessly abused her discretion when she illegally ordered the President of the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI) to unfreeze the accounts of Ducor Petroleum Inc.”
Judge Eva Mappy Morgan, Head Judge of the Commercial Court of Liberia
While Judge Eva Mappy Morgan of the Commercial Court at the Temple of Justice is awaiting Chief Justice Francis Korkpor’s decision as to whether she will serve her one-year suspension without pay and benefits, the judge is leaving no stone unturned in exposing ills in the Judicial Branch of the Government.
Judge Morgan’s suspension recommendation comes immediately after the Judiciary Inquiry Commission (JIC) investigative report found her liable for the alleged unilateral decision that authorized the withdrawal of over US$3 million out of the account of the Ducor Petroleum Inc housed at the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI).
Judge Roland Dahn
Nearly three months after the Judiciary Inquiry Commission (JIC) suspended the ‘unethical conduct’ accusation against Judge Roland Dahn of the 8th Judicial Circuit Court in Nimba County, the commission is expected by today, Thursday, May 6, to resume the hearing.
Thursday’s hearing was necessitated by the fact that British national, Hans Armstrong, has been privileged to obtain Counselor Amara Sheriff as his legal representative, one major reason for procrastination in the hearing of the case.
Armstrong has contended that he cannot proceed with the Investigation on grounds that lawyers who defended him in his US$5 million case that involved Senate Secretary Nanborlor Singbeh refused to represent him against Judge Dahn.
Temple of Justice
An ex-parte (done with respect to or in the interests of one side only or of an interested outside party) application says that it is improper for parties or their practitioners to attempt to communicate unilaterally with a judge’s chambers in relation to the substantive issues in the litigation.
It went further to say that all such communications of this kind have to be circulated to, or be made in the presence of, the other parties unless those parties have previously consented to such a unilateral communication being made to the judge; breach of the principles stated immediately above would amount not only to an impropriety on the part of the party making the communication but may, in certain circumstances, be relevant to whether there is a reasonable apprehension of bias on the part of the judge.