By Lincoln G. Peters
Bomi County Senator Edwin Melvin Snow has encouraged suspended Liberian officials to challenge sanctions brought against them by the U.S. Government if they believe that they are not guilty.
Mr. Snowe, a former son-in-law of imprisoned former Liberian President Charles Ghankay Taylor, once faced a UN travel ban for his close association with the latter.
He told President George Manneh Weah’s suspended Chief of Office Staff Nathaniel McGill, National Port Managing Director Bill Twehway and Solicitor General Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus to challenge their sanctions and prove themselves innocent.
The United States Department of the Treasury last week announced specialized sanctions against the three officials for corruption and other criminal acts. Subsequently, President Weah suspended the trio.
But Senator Snowe believes that there is still hope for the officials designated by the U.S. officials to prove their innocence.
During a talk show on Spoon FM over the weekend, Snowe suggested that there is a process for them to prove their innocence as it was done in his case for ten years.
Snowe got his travel ban reprieve during former President Ellen Johnson – Sirleaf’s administration when he served as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
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“I will encourage those three [officials] that the sanction has been imposed on to take an appeal, which will be filed by their lawyers,” said Snowe.
“They can file an appeal with a very good lawyer and challenge the process. I do not think [it] is an indictment against the Government of Liberia and anyone [else], but the three of them,” he said.
He argued that nobody plays with the intelligence of the United States.
He said the American intelligence is second to none, suggesting that it could be true and also wrong.
However, he said the truth can only be established if they challenge the process to prove their innocence.
Snowe warned the officials not to take the sanction against them lightly, but to make use of the due process afforded them.
He said when this is not done, the sanctions will cause them not to move freely.
Explaining his experience as a former sanctioned official, Snowe said he was placed on sanction by the United Nations for ten years because it believed that he had a relationship or conversation with former President Taylor despite his departure from the country.
He noted that he challenged the allegation, and his lawyers proved his innocence.
