By By: Alphanso G Kalama;
Monrovia, — A top Liberian lawmaker is raising alarm over what could be a serious violation of the Constitution. Senator Augustine S. Chea, Chairman of the Senate’s Judiciary Committee, says he’s hearing reports that President Joseph Boakai asked the Supreme Court to delay a ruling in a legal case involving the House of Representatives.
If true, Senator Chea says this is more than just a simple request—it could be a case of executive interference in the work of the courts, which is strictly against the law.
“That’s a serious violation of the Constitution,” Chea wrote. “It amounts to obstruction of justice.”
The Issue at Hand
At the center of the controversy is a Bill of Information before the Supreme Court, tied to a leadership crisis in the House of Representatives. Reports suggest that President Boakai asked the Chief Justice for a two-week delay so he could try to solve the problem politically.
But Senator Chea strongly disagrees with this approach.
“The three branches of government can consult each other, yes—but not interfere in each other’s work,” he said.
He criticized lawyer and former anti-corruption head Cllr. Verdier, who appeared on Spoon TV defending the President’s alleged actions. Chea called his defense “wrong, inherently wrong.”
A Threat to Judicial Independence?
Senator Chea warned that if the Supreme Court agrees to delay the ruling because of pressure from the Executive, it would damage the independence of the judiciary.
“That would be the beginning of the end of judicial independence,” he warned. “Our country can’t afford that.”
He added that no one—including lawmakers—should be above the law, and that how a Speaker is elected or removed in the House is not just a political issue, but a legal one as outlined in the Constitution.
Final Message
“We are a country of law—not of men,” Senator Chea concluded.
As of now, there has been no official statement from the Office of the President or the Supreme Court confirming or denying the allegations.
