— President finally makes appointment after months of delayed vetting process
President Joseph N. Boakai, Sr. announced the appointment of Cllr. Jallah Barbu as the Executive Director of the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) on Friday, November 1, following a prolonged and relatively quiet vetting process.
Barbu, currently the Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia, is recognized as one of the nation’s top legal professionals.
He steps into the role after the brief tenure of Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi, whose appointment and subsequent dismissal by the President faced criticism from civil society organizations, including the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA).
Following Massaquoi’s departure, President Boakai established a committee led by Justice Minister Oswald Tweh to select a replacement.
The decision to withdraw Massaquoi’s appointment comes after significant public outcry and demands for a more transparent and inclusive selection process for this crucial role. Critics called for a reconsideration of the appointment and emphasized the need for the Office of the WECC to be staffed with reputable Liberian human rights defenders.
“President Boakai, I urge you to withdraw this nomination and not allow politics to derail one of the most important appointments of your time in office,” Dr. Robtel Neajai Pailey, a renowned Liberian academic, said in her Independence Day oration in July this year. “Staff the Office with upstanding Liberian human rights defenders, many of whom have been advocating in the trenches for decades.”
In a few weeks after Dr. Pailey’s public criticism of the President, the government, through the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism (MICAT), announced that Massaquoi had been relieved of his post and that a committee would be established to recruit and vet candidates for the WECC Executive Director position.
The committee sought a candidate with outstanding qualifications, impeccable character, and a strong commitment to upholding the rule of law, qualities that Barbu possesses.
In May of this year, President Joseph Boakai signed an executive order to establish a war crimes court aimed at delivering long-awaited justice to victims of severe abuses perpetrated during Liberia’s civil wars from 1989 to 2003, which killed an estimated 250,000 people.
These conflicts were marked by widespread atrocities, including massacres, rape, and the recruitment of child soldiers. Following recommendations from a Truth and Reconciliation Committee for the establishment of a special court to prosecute alleged perpetrators, tangible progress was only made after Boakai assumed office last year.
The President introduced a proposal to form the special court, gaining support from Liberia’s legislative bodies. Boakai expressed gratitude to the lawmakers for their efforts and provided his final endorsement in May with the issuance of Executive Order #131.
“The conviction that brings us here today is that, for peace and harmony to have a chance to prevail, justice and healing must perfect the groundwork,” Boakai said in a special address.
Executive Order #131, which Cllr. Barbu’s appointment aligns with, authorizes mechanisms to prosecute individuals who are accountable for war and economic crimes during Liberia’s civil conflicts. It marks the culmination of a decades-long effort to bring justice to victims of the country’s civil wars.
Barbu’s preferment is an expression of confidence that President Boakai emphasized the importance of setting up the office of the War and Economic Crimes Court in advancing peace, sustainable development, and prosperity, in his capability to expedite the full implementation of the court.
According to the executive order, the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court, now headed by Barbu, is to investigate, formulate, and recommend methodologies, mechanisms, and procedures for establishing both a Special War Crimes Court and a National Anti-Corruption Court for Liberia.
The Tweh’s committee sought a candidate with exceptional qualifications, impeccable character, and a strong commitment to the rule of law, qualities that Cllr. Barbu possesses. Barbu, a distinguished legal professional and professional accountant, has authored significant works on Liberian Constitutional Law and co-authored the country’s first Constitutional Treatise.
His academic background includes a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, a Bachelor of Law (Hons.) degree, a Master of Laws, and a Doctor of Juridical Science. Beyond academia, Barbu has decades of experience in business, teaching, law, research, and publishing.
He has held various roles in prestigious institutions, including engagement in teaching, legal practice, and advisory services for governmental agencies. Barbu’s contributions have been recognized both locally and internationally for his expertise in legal matters and his dedication to public service.
