LRA pleads with Supreme Court

The Liberia Revenue Authority or LRA has entered a plea at the Supreme Court requesting for more time in a contempt proceeding in which several of its senior officials have been cited.

Solicitor General Betty Lamin Blamo asked Justice in Chamber Kabineh Ja’neh for continuance to have some consultations with the clients, but the superior court demanded the physical presence of the LRA officials at 5pm Monday before the application for continuance could be looked at.

LRA boss Madam Elfrieda Tamba and her deputies were due to face contempt proceedings Monday at the Supreme Court after Justice Ja’neh previously ordered their arrest and incarceration last month for their failure to show up for a writ of prohibition filed by 59 dismissed employees including Prince Gbeinsaye, Sr. and others.

Making the plea yesterday, Solicitor General Blamo told Justice Ja’neh she needed the time to consult her clients due to her prolong absence from the country since her last representation. She claimed to have been on other national assignment at the ECOWAS court.

However, while making the appeal for continuance, Madam Blamo failed to produce her clients bebore the Justice in Chambers claiming,“we informed them of the step we were about to take.”

But Justice Ja’neh said in all fairness to the court, Madam Tamba and her deputies should be present because the court could not hear the case while they were away.

He ordered that they be present in court before Madam Blamo makes her request, saying “call them to appear by 5pm and whatever application you have will be looked at.”

There have been reports that Madam Tamba and her deputies allegedly dismissed the 59 employees based on claims that while working at the Ministry of Finance back in 2008, the dismissed employees had a corruption case pending against them.

By Winston W. Parley-Edited by Othello B. Garblah