Assets Recovery Task Force and Gracious Ride , a landmark case for the practical fight against corruption in the Unity Party Led government is said to be hugely challenged allegedly by extended and influential forces.
Contrary to expectation and plan legal procedures, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, allegedly failed to hand down ruling in the constitutional case involving the Assets Recovery and Gracious Ride Legal Battle after informing the parties of a decision in the matter.
According to reports, The court had a total of eleven cases to make determinations in, including the asset recovery legality as the eighth case, but as a slap in the face in a drive to fight corruption, the public was astonished to realize that said case was allegedly ignored and or scaped over by Associate Justice Jamesetta Howard-Wollokollie after each party was served a notice of assignment for the ruling on that particular day.
According to legal experts, before a notice of assignment is issued in any case, that matter must have been deliberated and passed upon by judges and justices hearing said case and coming up with a decision to which lawyers will be notified to receive the judgment, something that was not the same in the case involving the asset recovery.
The situation was according to legal experts consider historic, and served as the first of its kind for the Highest Court in the land.
Legel experts in an interview with our reporter argued that in another case where the judges or justices vote tied, there wouldn’t have been an assignment in the matter nor placed on the court’s docket because it has not reached consensus for a final decision.
However, information gathered from the temple of justice has it that alleged corrupt officials are also allegedly using the high court to cleverly delay the task force work at the detriment of the fight against corruption until the end of the executive order expiration as a means of crippling its further existence.
The ongoing legal drama, delay and smart move by alleged big hands appears to cripple the practical fight against corruption especially under a government that came to power under the premise of transparency and accountability including the practical fight against corruption.
It can be recalled that the Task Force was set up by President Joseph Boakai through Executive Order No. 126 to search, seize, and investigate government assets that were obtained illegally, but the President’s decision has been questioned by corrupt officials before the Supreme Court for months without determination.
Executive Order #126, establishing the asset recovery task force in March 2024, mandated the team to look into and prosecute individuals or groups that have defrauded the state, but the team has since been hit by multiple writs before both upper and lower courts by alleged corrupt individuals as a means of protecting themselves from prosecution.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court failure to rule in the matter on August 28, before the close of the October term of court with a stay order placed on the asset recovery, served as a backlash to the fight against corruption.
However, credible information according to our investigation have it in house that a vote was taken and tied but a final decision is yet to be made public.
