Failure to Prosecute Tokpa Mulbah Could Further Erode Trust in Liberian Government

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh

     In the wake of the July 2010 brutal flogging of police officer Lawrence Beh, by thugs loyal to Deputy Speaker of the Liberian Senate, Tokpa Mulbah, who actually ordered the beating of the officer for carrying out his official duties, another senator, Cletus Wotorson was reportedly quoted as warning in the strongest terms tribal leaders who went to his office to see him without an appointment.

     “You don’t come to my office like this. It is wrong. You cannot do this to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. I cannot condone it. You wrote me that you were coming and I had not replied,” Senator Wotorson was quoted as saying.

     This is not the first time Mr. Wotorson, who seems to have a huge ego, is carried away by the Presidet-Pro-tempore title, and also appears to be insecure exposed himself publicly in such a dishonorable manner especially when he thinks a fellow Liberian has offended him.

         Hon. Cletus Wotorson                                         Hon. Tokpa Mulbah

      In fact it is in Liberia where the rule of law is never practiced, and where it is customary for a senator, a chief justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, a deputy speaker, the managing director of the government-owned corrupt oil refinery, the son of a former president, or just about any government official who believes he/she has enough political power and clout can intimidate, harass, and even threaten to jail a journalist or any Liberian for not addressing the individual by his official title, or can even order the brutal flogging of a police officer for carrying out his official duties.

     In fact it is also in Liberia, a lawless country where the phrase “rule of law” is often thrown around in empty speeches by the president and other government officials, who often speak that way to calm a weary public fearful of loosing their lives never knowing when a thuggish government official would unleash violence on them on any given day.

     The last time I checked the coming of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was supposed to at least end all that; meaning, the physical abuse of Liberians would end, the individual and collective rights of Liberians would be respected; and government officials who beat, hurt and possibly kill a Liberian or non-Liberian would be prosecuted according to the laws that govern the Republic of Liberia.

      I believed President Sirleaf then when she made this remark during her January 16, 2006 inauguration ceremonies when she said: "My Administration therefore commits itself to the creation of a democracy in which the constitutional and civil liberties and rights of all of our people will be respected." 

     Shockingly, and four years later, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's Liberia is a lawless country where a member of congress can order the beating of a police officer for doing his job, and cannot be held criminally liable and prosecuted for violating the rights of the officer or any Liberian citizen.

     How can these guys not believe they are above the law when it is written in stone in the Liberian Constitution that members of the House and Senate are protected from prosecution when they violate the civil and human rights of Liberians and non-Liberians?

     So far, the recent incident involving deputy speaker Tokpa Mulbah, who became furious when the sworn police officer stopped his dangerously defective truck that was running wild in the streets at night without headlights, throws light on the criminal behavior of members of the Legislative branch of government who can hide behind constitutional protection to commit heinous and felonious crimes against their people, believing they can be protected.

     How can Senators and Representatives not believe they are protected by the constitution after ordering the merciless beating of another human being in a lawless country where a corrupt, spineless and intellectually bankrupt Supreme Court can rubberstamp anything that comes before them without questioning the sanity of such law?

     So where’s progress in Liberia? Is it progress when a member of the Legislative branch of government orders the beating of a police officer for carrying out his official duties? Is it progress when a senator assaults a journalist or hurls insults on Liberians who wants to meet that senator? If that is the case, then progress under the administration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is a joke, because I have yet to see progress so far. Progress in Liberia has to also include protecting innocent citizens and civil liberties, and making it possible for government officials, especially members of the House and Senate to be prosecuted. There is also progress when ancient and anti-Liberian laws such as the one that protects members of congress from prosecution are challenged and changed through a national referendum.

     If the law that protects members of congress from prosecution are successfully challenged and changed through a national referendum, then the power of people like the laughable Cletus Wortorson, who hasn’t shown any depth at legislating since he was elected to the senate few years ago, and is also famous for the May 5, 2009 assault of journalist Solomon Ware of Truth FM radio, whose only ‘crime’ was to ask Wotorson for an interview would be drastically clipped.

     The clueless Wotorson who never fails to remind those around him – in fact the entire nation that he is “President-Pro tempore of the Senate” often reminds me of the buffoonery Frank Tolbert, who once held the same title. The story is often told how an erratic Frank Tolbert would drive pedestrians away from walking on the public sidewalk in front of his house, and was known to always remind his colleagues (as if they didn’t already know) that he was the brother of the president. He would go on to proclaim “You know who I am? I am Frank Emmanuel Tolbert, senior brother of the president Republic of Liberia and President Pro-tempore of the Liberian Senate,” which says a whole lot about Liberian big shots who are more concerned about titles than legislating, creating jobs and making life better for their fellow citizens.

     Tokpa Mulbah’s uncivilized and gangster-like behavior also throws light on his judgment, temperament and the Congress for Democratic Change political party of which he is a card-carrying member. As a ranking member of the House of Representatives, Tokpa Mulbah should have known better that police officer Lawrence Beh was just doing his job, and also should have known that the condescending behavior shown officer Beh proves his own ignorance.

     With his party’s Standard Bearer, George Oppong Weah still reeling from a recent US government/FBI drug bust that nabbed a US-based supporter, James Bestman, at a time when Weah was on the premises visiting his friend creates unwelcome publicity for George Manneh Weah and his Congress for Democratic Change political party, seen by many as lacking leadership qualities, childish, unsavvy politically, not credible and not ready for presidential politics. 

     Weah, the future presidential candidate's presence on the premises that day during the drug raid leaves him in an awkward position, because he now must give a coherent explanation as to what he was doing there at the time of the raid, how long has he been knowing the James Bestman fellow, and did he know him to be involved in drug peddling?

     Vague press releases, reprimands and condemnation about the drug raid and the Tokpa Mulbah issue will not genuinely address the controversies. To show that he is serious, above the fray, and is ready to instill discipline in his political party and himself, George Manneh Weah has to take the high road by coming clean and by immediately expelling Tokpa Mulbah from the Congress of Democratic Change.