The Liberian Senate plenary has directed two of its statutory committees to look into the National Elections Commission’s legal officer’s purportedly fabricated academic credentials. Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence of Grand Bassa County criticized Mr. Teage Jalloh, the NEC’s current legal officer, as being unqualified to hold the position because he is only a recent law school graduate and not a licensed attorney.
Tuesday’s plenary session gave its Committees on Autonomous and Judiciary the green light to look into Mr. Jalloh’s citizenship and educational background. This came after Senator Augustine Chea of Sinoe County moved that the committees report to plenary within two weeks and update the body within the first week of the investigation.
Sen. Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence, in a communication to the plenary, expressed concerns about the NEC, prompting the Senate to consult its pertinent Committees. Senator Lawrence called attention to the NEC Legal Officer’s qualifications, competence, and trustworthiness in her statement to the plenary. She recalled how Mr. Teage Jalloh sought accreditation as a counselor-at-law some time ago, but his application for admittance to the Supreme Court Bar was rejected due to his citizenship.
The NEC Legal Officer’s most recent application for admission to the Supreme Court Bar, according to her, was once more denied by the court because he allegedly failed to meet the academic requirements to be accepted as a Counselor-At-Law. She also enlisted the help of the entire body to remove Mr. Jalloh from his post immediately, stating that this issue is crucial before the elections on October 10, 2023.
Reported by: Boima Johnson
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