Rights Activist Wants NSA, Justice Minister Punished

By Ora Garway

Independent Civil and Human Rights Center Activist Melvin Page has urged President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to institute a punishable measure against the Justice Minister Philip Banks and officials of the National Security Agency (NSA) by allowing them restitute money spent in the so-called treason trial that lasted for nearly a year.

Mr. Page noted that these security apparatus had knowledge that there was nothing like coup in the making to have implicated the two Liberians and caused the Liberian Government to pump thousands of dollars to pursue a 419 scam treason case.

He pointed out during a news conference that funds used during by the state during the more than a year proceeding are taxes paid by Liberians for the development of the country and not for scam or fake operations.

Melvin Page: “Cllr. Banks and those officials at the NSA that was involved in the making up of an alleged fake coup plot should not be in the employ of the Liberian Government as they are agents of wars.”

Commenting on the recent statement of Cllr. Banks regarding the ruling of the Criminal Court “A” Judge Peter Gbenewelleh, he said such statement by the minister that the judge made an error to acquit Gen. Charles Julu and Col. Andrew Dorbor of treason sends a bad signal.

“Cllr. Banks did not speak as a lawyer or attorney general simply because he is not a courtroom lawyer because he did not one day attend one of the hearings that lasted up to a year”, he said.

He observed that he is of the opinion that the justice minister is only trying to put the Krahn ethnic group against the administration of President Sirleaf. “He is trying to mislead her in an attempt to undermine the judiciary as he did in the case of the former magistrate Milton Taylor's dismissal without any legal reason”.

The activist described Cllr. Banks and officials at the NSA as “bad apples” that needs to be weeded out of the government by President Sirleaf so as not to pollute the entire system.

Such statement by the minister according to him is only intended to ridicule the judge whose ruling was based on facts and legal issues. He also said the minister being a lawyer failed to know that the judge sat in two capacities looking at two different issues.

Mr. page praised the judge for dispensing justice without fear or favor, : he said “Judge Gbenewelleh is the most experience, fearless, upright and no nonsense judge who has brought some credibility to the judicial branch of government.

Meanwhile, there are reports that Chief Justice Johnnie N. Lewis has lauded Judge Gbenewelleh for such ruling and that he should had presented the rulings to President Sirleaf yesterday who just returned to the country.