Monday, March 5, 2007

Snowe Faces Police Tomorrow to Answer Corruption Charges - Will he escape justice?


The former Speaker of the Liberian House of Representatives, Mr. Edwin Melvin Snowe is expected to face a team of investigators at the Headquarters of the Liberia National Police on charges of corruption on Tuesday.

Last week the former speaker was invited at the police station to answer to corruption charges levelled against by the ECOWAS Audit Team, the UN Panel of experts, the European Union and the LPRC Tax Force, linking him to the misapplication of over a Million United States Dollars from the LPRC coffers during his tenure.
The former speaker who is currently serving as Representative for District #5 in Monrtserrado County has since denied the charges levelled against him, blaming Mr. Harry Grieves, Jr., current Managing Director of the LPRC of being behind the plot to disgrace him.

The former speaker may likely be stripped off his legislative immunities during the investigation. However, some political observers who spoke to the GNN late last night by way of mobile phone believes that invitation extended the former speaker by the police may lead him forfeiting his immunities as a lawmaker.

Since the beginning of this year, the former speaker has been facing series of challenges regarding his qualification to lead that august body. The first was a call by his colleagues to have him removed as Speaker, and now he is now been invited by the police to answer charges of corruption.

“Former Speaker Snowe is heading for his disgrace again, this time he is been sought to prove his innocence on the misappropriation of millions of United States Dollars while at the LPRC; what good for John also good for Paul – You pull robe, robe pull bush,” Patrick Tuckers, an employee at the LPRC who preferred not to be named told the GNN in an interview.

Many who spoke to the GNN over the weekend called on the Liberian government not to be selective in dealing with corrupt officials, “since these former officials are been chased, the same should be done with the current ones, who believes that the culture of impunity should be their livelihood,’ John Dennis, a local rights advocate adding his voice to the Police/Snowe fracas said.

Speaking further Mr. Dennis said Liberians have suffered for too long in the hands of individuals who feel that they are always untouchable whenever crime is committed by them, especially the misapplication of public funds, “the days of government officials eating tax payers’ money at the detriment of the sufferance massive are over. These guys must face justice,” Mr. Dennis stressed.

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