An inquiry has been launched by human rights advocates into the authenticity of an Act reportedly passed by the 51st Legislature granting immunity to all warlords.

Three human rights advocates in the persons of Cllr. Augustine Toe of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (JPC), Aloysius Toe of the Foundation for Human Rights Defense (FOHRD) and Dan Sayeh of the Liberia Democracy Institute (LDI) have written House Speaker Alex Tyler requesting information on the controversial Act reportedly passed by the National Legislature granting general amnesty for warlords.

"We most respectfully extend to you our compliments and to officially request you to direct the Chief Clerk to provide us with general and specific information, detailed and background data surrounding an Act approved on August 7, 2003 and published by authority of the Ministry of foreign Affairs, Monrovia, Liberia on August 8, 2003.

The Act in question is entitled "An Act to grant immunity from both civil and criminal proceedings against all persons within the jurisdiction of the Republic of Liberia from acts and other crimes committed during the civil war from December 1989 to August 2003."

It is claimed that the Act was passed into law at the time the city of Monrovia was overwhelmed with 'intense gun battle between forces loyal to LURD rebel movement and those of Government/NPFL. They described such period as a time Liberia was more or less failed and collapsed state, meaning that government functionary was ineffective.

In the letter dated July 6, 2009 a day after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its reports and recommended prosecution for former warlords, perpetrators and many others, the human rights advocates claimed the Act in question has not only been a hidden document until recently but it has also become an issue of great national controversy.

It is against this backdrop the three advocates, who since the release of the report have been providing concrete opinions and facts, want the Speaker to provide them with 'copies of all minutes, recordings and documentations of all sittings, debates, vote/roaster, motions, transmittal letter and engrossed portion of the legislative ledger leading to the passage of the Act.'

Since the release of the reports, the affected warlords and their bedfellows have raised contentions that that the TRC abrogated the law which guaranteed them general amnesty from prosecution for acts committed during the course of the war.

During a major press conference held at the Monrovia City Hall, the former warlords who spoke in the capacity of signatories to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) made reference to the Act and question the TRC's judgment for recommending prosecution for them contrary to the Act.

In their letter to Speaker Tyler, the human rights advocates who referred to their respective organizations as 'public interest organizations,' expressed the hope that Speaker Tyler would treat their communication with the utmost attention and urgency it deserves.