Mr. Lewis Brown says he’s “innocent” of allegations by Liberia’s TRC that he should be prosecuted for economic crimes. Credit: Anthony Stephens/New Narratives.
MONROVIA, Liberia—Lewis Brown, President Joseph Boakai’s controversial pick for Ambassador to the United Nations, said he is innocent of the economics crimes allegations leveled against him in the country’s 2009 Truth and Reconciliation Commission report. In an exclusive interview, Mr. Brown hit back at advocates for a war and economics crimes court who have said that it would be embarrassing and untenable for Mr. Brown to be Liberia’s chief diplomat as the country is seeking technical and financial support from the international community for the court.
By Anthony Stephens With New Narratives
Mr. Brown is one of 26 people the TRC recommended for prosecution as “individuals responsible for committing economic crimes.” Mr. Brown’s nomination went to a Senate confirmation hearing last week. The committee is now determining whether to recommend the nomination to the Senate plenary.
“It is, sadly, in my mind, an uneducated claim about how the international community works,” said Mr. Brown. “Liberia is a sovereign nation. All sovereign nations that are members of the United Nations show respect for the right of each member country to say who their representative is to that world body. We don’t determine who the US, for instance, will send as their representative to the United Nations. So, no other country of the world, except President Boakai and the Liberian Legislature can say who their representative will be.”
Court opponents have not said that Liberia does not have the right to appoint Mr. Brown, only that it would undermine Liberia’s efforts to have someone who might be tried by the court leading the charge in seeking support. The international diplomatic community has made no comment on Mr. Brown’s nomination.
Ms. Nicola Clade, Head of the UN Peacebuilding Commission’s Liberia Configuration in a press conference Monday.
Indeed, late on Monday Ms. Nicola Clase, head of the UN Peacebuilding Commission’s Liberia Configuration, told a press conference at the conclusion of the Commission’s 5-day visit, that there would be no comment from the UN.
“All I can say is that, for us, it’s very clear that we never comment on other countries…how they appoint ambassadors. That is something we never do,” Ms. Clase said.
The TRC Report found the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC), which Mr. Brown had previously headed, acted under his “authority” when it executed a $10 million credit agreement with West Oil Investment for the oil company to import and distribute oil products in Liberia in exchange for the credit. But it said the LPRC made “a series of suspicious payments beginning in 2003 though 2006.”
Mr. Brown denied he had committed any crime and repeatedly questioned the credibility of the Commission’s report.
“What does ‘suspicious payment’ mean? Was it not cleared by the board?” asked Mr. Brown.
“LPRC is a 100 percent government owned public entity. Is there any audit report that shows a payment to be suspicious? What is the standard the TRC used to define suspicion? What will make them arrive at such a legal conclusion that you will overhang a dark cloud over someone’s reputation?”
According to Mr. John Stewart, a TRC commissioner, Mr. Brown’s appearance on the list came in part because he refused to answer the allegations before the Commission.
“A background investigation was conducted, and he was cited to answer questions concerning the results of the investigation,” said Mr. Stewart by phone. “He never appeared. And under the TRC policy, if a person cited did not appear to answer to the charges against him, then, we will assume that it’s judgement by default.”
A key ally of Taylor, Mr. Brown held a number of positions in his government, including Foreign Minister, and National Security Advisor. Prior to becoming president, Taylor, was head of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), which was accused of 63,847 or 41 percent of all crimes reported to the TRC. The number of crimes, including rape, murder, torture and forced labor among others, was the highest of any faction during Liberia’s two civil wars.
“He has questions to answer,” said Mr. Stewart. “That’s why it’s important for him to step aside, go to the court when it’s established, and he will have the chance to prove his innocence.
This is a man who was associated with a bloody and murderous regime as one of the top security functionaries.”
Mr. Brown is seeking to serve in the role of Liberia’s representative to the UN for the third time, having previously held the position during the administrations of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and George Weah, two ex-presidents, who refused to back the establishment of a war and economic crimes court.
Mr. Boakai, their successor, is now taking steps in the country’s transitional justice process, including the appointment of Dr. Jallah Barbu as executive director for the Office of War and Economic Crimes Courts. A resolution to establish the courts was passed by the Legislature earlier this year.
The list of opponents among leading human rights advocates to the president’s nomination of Mr. Brown is growing. Last week, more advocates joined the chorus opposing his appointment to the role, calling on the president to rescind his nomination.
Ambassador Brown accused the advocates of promoting “injustice” by failing to defend him as an accused.
“Even if you accuse someone, you must presume they are innocent until proven guilty,” argued Mr. Brown. “The presumption of innocence is not to be used as the basis for punishment either. If you presume mean that law to be innocent. How can you, as a rights group, advocate for me to be punished although I’m innocent?”
Mr. Brown’s Senate confirmation hearing was held by the body’s Committee on Foreign Relations, headed by Darius Dillion, the Montserrado County Senator who has openly backed the court. Mr. Brown has been trying to soften the opposition to his appointment. Mr. Peterson Sonyah, a victims’ advocate, said Mr. Brown asked him for a meeting but has not yet made a time.
“If Lewis Brown is confirmed by the Liberian Senate, we will take a serious issue with the Liberian Senate and will come together and tell our international partners not to do business with Liberia for the war crimes courts,” warned Mr. Sonyah, head of the Liberia Massacre Survivors association, the largest victims and survivors’ group in the country, in a phone interview. “It will derail the whole process, and when we are crying again, nobody will come to our rescue in this country. People will not take us seriously.”
The dispute over Mr. Brown’s nomination came as the UN Peacebuilding Commission’s Liberia Configuration concluded its 5-day visit. The Commission held meetings with key stakeholders, including the Liberian government, joint security, UN country team, civil society and women and youth groups.
In May, President Boakai wrote to the UN, seeking technical and financial support for the courts. In his first address to the UN General Assembly four months later, the president reminded the world body of his request.
In the press conference attended by heads of other UN bodies and senior diplomats, including the Ambassadors of Swedish and German to Liberia, the UN’s Ms. Clase pledged the UN’s support to ensuring accountability for past crimes in Liberia.
“We do acknowledge that there is a need to account perpetrators accountable to human rights violations and rendering justice for the victims, which is obviously crucial to addressing the root causes of conflict and fostering social cohesions and we have great respect for that.”
But Ms. Clase said it’s too early for the UN to clearly state the kind of support to give Liberia.
“I think it will be immature for me to say where we stand on support. It’s possible that can be technical support, but I think it will be sort of a bit early to say too much about that,” said Ms. Clase. “But I think the important is that we have been getting information about the commitment to this war and economic crimes court.”
Ms. Clase said that the UN Peacebuilding Fund has provided more than $US100 million to Liberia to support peace initiatives since 2007.
This story is a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project. Funding was provided by the Swedish Embassy in Liberia which had no say in the story’s content.
