By Lincoln G. Peters
Liberia’s convicted former Defense Minister Brownie J. Samukai is calling on the Senate to reject President George Manneh Weah’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay.
Speaking Tuesday, 25 October 2022 on local broadcaster OK FM, Mr. Samukai accused Judge Gbeisay of being allegedly corrupt.
He alleged that Judge Gbeisay is one of those that are corrupting the judicial system, adding that he lacks integrity, morals, and independence to sit on the Supreme Court bench.
Judge Gbeisay presided over the trial in which Mr. Samukai and two of his former Defense officials were found guilty in 2021 and subsequently convicted by the Supreme Court of Liberia for misapplying money deducted from soldiers’ salaries.
Following his appointment by President Weah to serve as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Judge Gbeisay faced the Liberian Senate Monday for a confirmation hearing.
Gbeisay told Senators that Samukai’s conviction would not have changed even if former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had testified to confirm that she authorized him to use the soldiers’ private money.
On account of his conviction in the criminal trial, Samukai was disallowed from taking a seat at the Liberian Senate after winning a senatorial by-election in Lofa County.
It prompted another by-election this year which Senator Joseph K. Jallah won.
But a day after the Supreme Court nominee’s appearance before the Senate, Mr. Samukai headed to the radio station to fight back.
He claimed that it was time that Judge Gbeisay bears the consequences of his action.
Samukai alleged that he was wrongfully prosecuted because of the faulty judicial system with extreme black cows working in it.
He described Judge Gbeisay as a failure of the integrity test, and a judicial black cow that should never be given space to serve on the Supreme Court bench as a Justice.
Mr. Samukai claimed that Judge Gbeisay is a serious disgrace and an embarrassment to the judicial system of the country, accusing the judge of being ‘legally corrupt’ and failing integrity tests.
Samukai said he is willing and ready to testify against Judge Gbeisay at the Liberian Senate to challenge the nominee’s alleged ‘boldface lies.’
“I said and [I am] saying again today, I am willing now and whenever the Senate is ready to go to the Senate and testify under oath about the [corruption] and integrity failure of Judge Gbeisay,” said Mr. Samukai.
“I am willing and ready to testify under oath on what I am saying,” Mr. Samukai vowed.
“I was not at his confirmation appearance [on] Monday but I closely followed [it] on live television,” he said.
“I have not also written [to] the Liberian Senate to deny him confirmation because he is corrupt and lacks integrity, but I have spoken on it publicly on several occasions as it relates to the issues,” Samukai explained.
He rejected as false Judge Gbeisay’s testimony at the Liberian Senate that he (Samukai) did not deny the accusations brought against him by the government.
Mr. Samukai claimed that he presented evidence to the judge and even provided a written statement and evidence from former President Johnson-Sirleaf instructing him to use the funds.
“Judge Gbeisay told the Senate that the money we used from the Ministry of Defense was the private money of the soldiers and there is no disagreement with that. But I was not charged for the misuse of private funds, but misuse of public funds,” he noted.
