For a fortnight now, leadership rigmarole at the House of Representatives of the Liberian Legislature has been worsening with troubling revelation that forty members of that body including a Lawmaker from Grand Gedeh County Marie Johnson of electoral District #2 who is saddled with allegation of holding an American passport.
Speaking at a gathering in the Southeastern City of Zwedru, the young people through their spokesperson, James P. Karmee, Jr. told reporters that it is disappointing that Representative Johnson will begin to allegedly take bribes from sponsors of the anti-Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa campaign on Capitol Hill.
Karmee said is unthinkable that a United States citizen within the Liberian legislature would falter so embarrassingly to collect bribe to sign a resolution to remove Speaker Koffa and undermine Liberia’s democratic structure that caused many people their lives.
“What is even more appalling is that this US passport holder failed to take cognizance of the fact that bribery is a felonious crime under the laws of Liberia. This is grossly embarrassing. The young people of electoral District #2 who particularly voted for this bribe solicitor are mourning our decision. This is not what we signed up shamefully under one year,” the young people’s spokesperson stated emphatically.
Amid reverberating chants of anti-corruption battlecries, Karmee said given the seriousness of the Grand Gedeh lawmaker’s action, youth of her District will solicit signatures of eligible and registered voters in electoral District #2 to ensure that Representative Marie Johnson impeached.
“Corruption has no place our environment because Grand Gedeans have suffered for too long at the hands of corrupt leaders who worked tooth and nail to enrich themselves at the detriment of the people of Grand Gedeh,” Karmee pointed out.
He accused the Grand Gedeh District #2 lawmaker of deliberately flouting the laws of Liberia since she succeeded reportedly buying her at the National Elections Commission (NEC) during the 2023 elections when she was taken to task for carrying a foreign passport and seeking an elected office in Liberia who was in contravention of the Elections Law of Liberia. She was challenged on the basis of the 7.1 of the Election law which states “ Section 7.1 (C) of the election law states “anyone seeking to be representative must be a citizen and no less than 25 years. He or she must be domiciled in the constituency for no less than one year prior to election (12 months)”.
Additionally, a venerated Liberian lawyer, Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe indicated that according to Liberian law, Chapter 9 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials and Government Employees and Chapter 12 of the Penal Law classify bribery as a second-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.
Gongloe cited Section 9.1 of the Code of Conduct, which forbids public officials from accepting bribes or gifts that could influence their professional responsibilities, as well as Section 12.50 of the Penal Law, which categorizes bribery as a second-degree felony.
“Bribery in government is not merely a crime; it is a profound betrayal of public trust. Moving forward, we must ensure that whistleblowers are both encouraged and protected, as they play a crucial role in exposing corruption and safeguarding our nation’s integrity,” Cllr. Gongloe added.
The lawmaker has however denied her involvement into the House of Representative bribery Saga for the removal of Speaker Koffa.
