Opinion
EX-TRC Chairman Articles Against Ellen Barren
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 16 October 2012 00:01
- Written by NONE
…Pro-Democracy Group Debunk Assertions
An activist and pro-democrat says articles published by the ex-chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Cllr. Jerome Verdier is replete with barrenness and lack supporting evidence.
Alfred D. Tokpah said Cllr. Verdier’s claims against the government are false and not materially supported by facts.
He said “loosely used words” by the former TRC Chairman is cheap and that it is easy to distort genuine efforts aimed at curtailing the menace of corruption which has plagued the system of governance since the foundation of the country.
Mr. Tokpah averred that in earnest, no one of good intelligence can argue that he can effectively combat corruption and transform the economy without establishing the institutional framework as the current case suggests.
“It is without doubt that the President has established these anti-corruption institutions as a way of effectively promoting good governance contrary to Cllr. Verdier’s false claim that the institutions are either compromised or dormant,” the activist noted.
He indicated that Cllr. Verdier insinuation that corruption watch institutions are not dormant are false, noting that the Liberian Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) took former Police Director Beatrice Munah Sieh-Browne to court when the Justice Ministry indicated that it lacked sufficient evidence to prosecute her.
“It is disgracefully sickening to note that Cllr. Verdier has decided to contaminate the pages of the newspapers with the lies he writes. As a lawyer, Cllr. Verdier is challenged to come forth with his evidence that the institutions he named are dormant because legally speaking accusation is not evidence. Hence, the challenge is upon Cllr. Verdier to come forth with his evidence to substantiate his claim,” the pro-democracy activist challenged.
Mr. Togba said Cllr. Verdier needs to be reminded that one of the Government’s anti-corruption measures has scored big success in recent times when a whistle blower alerted authorities of the Finance Ministry of a criminal syndicate which resulted into the arrest of the Deputy Revenue collector in Bassa, Mr. Daniel Grigsby for defrauding government of US$325,000.00 over a period of five years.
He accused the lawyer of having failed the Liberian people as chairman of the TRC, which was created as an outcome of the Accra Peace Conference, with a mandate to bring out the truth of the Liberian conflict and reconcile the people.
“Regrettably, I think Cllr. Verdier either has a false sense of himself or is downright conscienceless because many serious persons in our country have said very clearly that significant aspects of the TRC’s recommendations are furthest away from reconciling the country, and may be in a position to create more division, disenfranchisement and disillusionment than anything else. In fact, that was why the Supreme Court of Liberia rubbished as unconstitutional some of the recommendations,” the youthful activist noted.
He stressed that Cllr. Verdier’s bitterness springs from the backdrop of the Government intentional refusal to adhere to his self-enriching recommendation for members of the defunct TRC to be paid at the level of Justices of the Supreme Court.
Furthermore he indicated that the counselor’s malice has to do with his personal ego as former Chairman of the TRC, and feels personally injured by the Supreme Court’s decision declaring as unconstitutional his politically-motivated recommendation banning alleged supporters of war from active politics for 30years.
He concluded that it was pointless waste of valuable time to engage Cllr. Verdier on the dull debate he has ignited on the 2012/2013 budget because Cllr. Verdier woefully lacks the expertise to intelligently discuss the budget and he’s only making pretense with knowledge.
