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Liberia: Lower House Rejects NIC Boss' Excuse - Given Thursday To Appear
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The Analyst (Monrovia)
23 July 2008
Posted to the web 23 July 2008
The House of Representatives yesterday unanimously voted to reject a communication from the Chairman of the National Investment Commission (NIC), Richard Tolbert, requesting the body to grant him excuse on the basis of poor health.
He should have appeared yesterday before the full bench of the plenary, to show cause why he should not be held in contempt.
The House of Representatives sometimes ago summoned the NIC boss to answers to allegations that he is granting duty free privileges to certain business houses and companies with out the consent of the National Legislature
The decision to summon him (NIC boss) followed a communication from Maryland County Representative, James Biney. In his communication to his colleagues, the Maryland lawmaker complained that Chairman Tolbert of giving hundred percent duty free privilege to business institutions and companies, thereby depriving the Liberian government of huge revenues.
The Maryland County lawmaker then supported his argument with "physical and documentary evidences", which to a large extent convinced the lawmakers to summon the NIC boss.
It has been couple of weeks now since the lawmakers took the decision to hold Mr. Tolbert in contempt, but according to the lawmakers, he has written on three different occasions, asking for excuse.
But some lawmakers termed those as mere unnecessary excuses intended to delay his appearance before them (lawmakers) to provide explanations on his alleged unilateral action.
The NIC boss promised to appear before the lawmakers at their regular Tuesday's Session, but again failed to so, blaming it on poor health, and requested the body to give him up to July 31, 2008.
In his latest communication, he told the lawmakers that he has just returned from a long trip in Europe with illness, As such, he said he needed medical attention to enable him get back on his feet.
Contents of Tolbert's letter did not go down too well with the lawmakers who became angry and took serious exception to what they called "unwarranted behavior of the NIC boss."
They argued that Tolbert was guilty and that his request for excuse was a ploy to evade justice. According to some lawmakers, the millions of dollars that are unaccounted for as a result of alleged duty free privileges granted by Mr. Tolbert should have been placed in the 2008/229 fiscal budget to cater for important national program.
Some lawmakers argued that his excuse should not be granted because he is not sick. The lawmakers were divided on accepting his requesting or rejecting it. Maryland County Representative, Dr. Bhoffal Chambers and others took exception to the decision to reject the NIC boss' communication on ground that they (lawmakers) have no control over sickness.
They accused their colleagues of attempting to politicize the issue, and urged them to grant him his excuse.
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After many hours of intense debate on the matter, Lofa County Representative, Eugene Fallah Kpaka made a motion against Mr. Tolbert July31 request, and moved that he be made to appear on Thursday July 24, 2008.
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| Copyright © 2008 The Analyst. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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