J. BROWNIE SAMUKAI IS OUT… Senate Alerts NEC of Lofa County Vacant Seat
Monrovia –WTVNEWS: Following tireless efforts to represent the People of Lofa County at the Liberian Senate, Brownie Samukai has gotten a bloody nose with the declaration of vacancy for his seat.
Samukai, a Collaborating Political Parties, (CPP) candidate won the December 2020 Special Senatorial elections with high votes among several candidates but was denied the seat due to a Court’s decision.
The Liberian Senate in a Communication, has askedthe National Elections Commission (NEC) to declare the senatorial seat of Lofa county vacant following the Supreme Court final ruling into the case involving Senator elect J. Brownie Samukai.
The Supreme Court in it’s recent ruling ordered the incarceration of Lofa County Senator Elect Brownie Samukai and deputies for failure to comply with Court’s Mandate.
According to the High Court, Lofa County Senator elect Brownie Samukai and his two deputies collectively failed to comply with the mandate and judgement of the Supreme Court in which they were ordered to pay 50% of the judgment in the tone of US$573,828.15 within the period of six months.
“This means J. Brownie Samukai, Joseph Johnson and James Nyuman Ndokor will now serve two years imprisonment and pay the full judgment amount of US$1,147,656.35, less the amount already pay by them” the High Court ruled.
According to the Liberian Senate, predicated upon the final judgment of the Supreme Court which arose from the bill of information proceedings,
incapacitates Lofa County Senate-elect J. Brownie Samukai from serving as Senator from Lofa County.
J. Brownie Samukai, Joseph Johnson And James Nyuman Ndokor were indicted and found guilty for theft of property, criminal conspiracy, misuse of public money and money laundering in the sum one million, one hundred forty-seven thousand, six hundred fifty six united states dollars thirty five cents (US$1,147,656.35).
They were each sentenced to two years, but the sentence was suspended by the Supreme Court of Liberia with a condition that they ( the defendants) restitute 50 percent of the amount guilty of within a period of six months, a conditions which the defendants had allegedly breach.
The Senate’s decision is in consonance with Article 37 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, which provides that in the event of a vacancy in the Legislature the Presiding officer of the Chamber in which the vacancy occurs shall within thirty (30) days after such occurrence notify the National Elections Commission thereof and the National Elections Commission shall not later than ninty (90) days thereafter cause a by-election to be held to fill the vacancy .
According to a release from the Press and Public Affairs Department of the Senate, “The Presiding Officer would have me to formally notify you that a vacancy for a Senatorial seat for Lofa exists, Please accept, Madam Chairperson and Honorable Commissioners, the renewed assurances of my highest esteem and consideration” Senate Secretary J. Nanborlor F. Singbeh writes.
It can be recalled that several chiefs and elders within Lofa County warned that if J. Brownie Samukai is not certificated as Senator there would unspecified action. The Lofa County traditional leaders believe the Court’s action against their son is a Political witch-hunt based on the fact that he (Samukai) acted on the orders of his boss (Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf) for the usage of the AFL soldiers money.
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