Double Trouble For Snowe
By Helroz Zorleh
Forum
Monrovia, Liberia
Distributed by
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
According to a letter written to the President Pro –Tempore of the
Liberian Senate, Isaac Nyenabo by Senator Daniel F. Naatehn Sr., dated 13
July 2006, which copy is in the possession of The FORUM, Speaker Snowe is
to face a full scale investigation that could serve as a restrictive precedent
for the would-be violators
.
According to the letter, the Speaker violated Article 57 of the constitution
which empowers only the President to conduct Foreign Service and not the
Speaker.
In view of the solemnity of constitutional violation and in order that a repeat be avoided, the letter states: “Let there be a full scale investigation into this breach of constitution which has brought disrepute to the 52nd Legislature and accompany with the necessary action taken against the Speaker aimed at remedying this overzealous behavior by him.”
Another Senator who also spoke to The FORUM at the Capitol said, “Speaker Snowe’s issue needs urgent attention in that full investigation be conducted because his [Speaker] action has brought the entire 52nd Legislature into political disrepute.”
Meanwhile, in an effort to speed up the process to restore diplomatic relations, the Taiwanese Government, through its Embassy near Banjul, The Gambia, reportedly remitted the amount of seventy-five thousand U.S dollars to Speaker Snowe.
The money in question which was said not to be part of the US$11M promised the Speaker and others was reportedly brought into the country and delivered to the Speaker by an official of the Liberian Embassy in The Gambia, after a letter written to the Taiwanese Foreign Minister was reportedly signed by Mr. Snowe.
A source close to the arrangements told The FORUM that the Speaker wanted
to sideline the mediator by either allowing the signature of someone from
his office or another person to affix his signature to the letter, but was
rejected by the Liberian Embassy official upon investigation.
After affixing his official signature on the letter, The FORUM is told that
it was then that the seventy-five thousand United States dollars was delivered.
According to the source, in order to seek protection in case of any eventuality, the Speaker is said to have bribed some of his colleagues whom he believed were “radicals” with the amount ranging from five hundred to two thousand US dollars.
Since the backfire of the deal, Speaker Snowe is also said to have been dishing out huge cash for public relations purposes to lay the issue to rest.
On April 28, 2006, the Speaker wrote Ambassador Patrick Chang of the Embassy of the Republic of China on Taiwan with residence in The Gambia that, “ We are pleased to inform you that the Legislature through this office would like to initiate discussions exploring possible legislations aimed at strengthening friendly relations between our two democratic countries.”
The letter further states, “We have therefore designated Hon. George Mulbah Representative of Bong County and Mr. Ambrose Gbormie, Assistant Minister of Afro-Asian Affairs at the Foreign Ministry to travel to Banjul, The Gambia to liaise with your good offices regarding travel arrangements and other details of the trip.”
The Speaker has since apologized to his legislative colleagues for his
unilateral action taken to have written the Taiwanese Embassy in The Gambia
concerning diplomatic ties with Liberia without their acquiescence.
Investigation continues.
