President Joseph Boakai has appointed the Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes Law School, Cllr. Jallah Barbu as Director General of the office of War and Economic Crimes Court.
The appointment comes following a vetting process carried out by a committee made of Civil Society Organizations, the Liberia Council of Churches among others that was constituted by the President.
The President dissolved the Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi leadership following criticisms that his appointment did not seek the input of CSOs including Human Rights Organizations.
Liberian Civil Society Organizations also frowned at Cllr. Massaquoi’s appointment due to his previous role as Defense Lawyer for warlords accused of committing atrocities during the civil war in Liberia.
Addressing Executive Mansion Reporters on Friday, November 1, 2024, Presidential Press Secretary Kula Fofana said the appointment takes immediate effect.
“The Executive Order which established the office of War and Economic Crimes Court does not require Senate Confirmation, so Cllr. Barbu will start from where the Previous Team stop” the Press Secretary.
The Office of War and Economic Crimes Court which is within the Ministry of Justice was created by an Executive Order to lead the process towards the establishment of the War and Economic crimes court to prosecute perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity and Economic Crimes from 1979 to 2003.
Liberia’s 14 years of bloody Civil War which claimed the lives of an estimated 250,000 people and injured many more ended two decades ago but no perpetrator has been held to account here in Liberia.
The Mansion in a statement said “The President expressed full confidence that Cllr. Barbu will carry out this vital role with unwavering dedication, a commitment to justice, and loyalty to the state.”
Cllr. Barbu also served as Head of the Law Reform Commission which was established in 2011 by an Act of Legislation to keep the laws of Liberia, ensure the systematic development and reform including unification and codification of the laws.
Joseph Daniels reports for OK FM Liberia as Executive Mansion Correspondence. With a vested interest in making the voices of people from different walks of life heard, he has covered investigative stories relating to Education, Health, the Environment Corruption and Violence against Women and Girls among others. He graduated from the United Methodist University with a Bachelor of Art Degree in Mass Communications in 2020. Joseph is also a Fellow at New Narratives, a non-profit organization helping media deliver independent, truthful information to its people so they can make informed decisions.
