Africa-Press – Liberia. The Daily Observer has reliably learned that President Joseph Boakai has placed a hold on the nomination of Counselor Jonathan Massaquoi as Justice Minister and Attorney General.
The source said President Boakai withheld the nomination of the Minister of Justice for reasons unknown, though some speculate that there is a huge internal fight over the post, especially from the angle of the Unity Party’s alliance member, MDR.
The Daily Observer has not been able to independently verify this information.
Massaquoi’s name was apparently on a list of individuals that was leaked on social media. Other names on the leaked list included Abraham Kromah to head the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA); Amin Modad, Minister of Commence; Sara Beyslow Nyanti, Foreign Minister; and James Dorbor Jallah, Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA). From that list, all but Massaquoi’s name made it to the official release.
According to the source, President Boakai’s decision to withhold the nomination came during a closed-door discussion with Jeremiah Koung, Vice President and standard bearer of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR); Atty. Kofi Woods, national security advisor; and Madam Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, Senate Pro-Tempore.
During the discussion, the source said, there were wide issues of concern regarding the eligibility of Massaquoi and his current status as general manager of the International Law Group (ILG), jointly owned by House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, who is a stalwart of the now opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
The source said those at the meeting informed the president that if Massaquoi were to be nominated, he would be easily influenced by Speaker Koffa. Though they did not doubt the professional qualifications of Massaquoi, they are concerned about the potential influence of Speaker Koffa.
Another issue raised was the credibility of Cllr. Massaquoi’s judgment on national security, since he is a young lawyer, even though Cllr. Massaquoi had practiced as a lawyer in the country for over ten years.
According to the source, the issues of Massaquoi’s full involvement in the campaign period of President Boakai were also discussed with those in the meeting who expressed concerns about Massaquoi’s failure to vigorously campaign against President George Weah’s reelection bid because of his proximity to Koffa.
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