Court To Resolve Battle At LMA

By R. Joyclyn Wea

The Civil Law Court is expected to resolve the long-standing legal dispute involving embattled Liberia Marketing Association (LMA) President Alice Yeabahn and Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor.

The Court over the weekend reserved determination into the matter before it following legal arguments by both lawyers representing Vice President Taylor and LMA president Alice Yeabahn.

During Thursday’s legal argument at the court, Vice President Lead counsel Wesseh A. Wesseh prayed the court not to undo the Vice President’s suspension action on the LMA President.

Cllr. Wesseh wants the court to dismiss Madam Yeabahn’s petition for Judicial review on grounds that the vice president decision is a political decision and as such, the Civil Law Court “B” is not the proper forum for the matter.

Also defending his client’s interest, Cllr. Arthur Johnson argued that political decisions are subject to judicial review and sanctioning, therefore, the court is the right forum to handle such dispute.

According to Cllr. Johnson, Madam Taylor does not have oversight responsibility over LMA and that such authority was taken outside of the LMA saying “it has structure of leadership.”

Cllr. Johnson further prays the court to hear the matter on its merits as the matter is a matter of facts and law.

He emphasized that Vice President Taylor has no legal authority to suspend the LMA officials who have been elected by total the membership of the LMA under the institution Act rather the Executive Committee of the LMA.

“The only time Alice can take people to the LMA Board is when that person is a member of the LMA so; Alice cannot take the Vice President to the LMA Board.”

It can be recalled that the Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor suspended the president of the Liberia marketing association over allegation of corruption and vowed to conduct an audit on her administration.

Madam Yeaban filed a petition for judicial review with the Civil Law Court as part of its October 23, 2018 sued to the court.

Since the Vice President’s decision, Madam Taylor had since failed to meet up with her promised but, she has since appointed her own people to steer the affairs of the association which is said to be in violation of the Act creating the association that states that it is the executive committee that has the power to appoint and dismiss something that is done through a national convention.