Following the release of a widely publicised report by the United States State Department under the caption: ‘2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Liberia’ entitled ‘Denial Of Fair Public Trial’, where according to the report the Chief Judge of the Commercial Court, and President of the National Trial Judges of Liberia, Eva Mappy Morgan was accused of alleged ethics volition/canon # 23.
The U.S. State Department also noted that Judge Morgan was linked to a 2013 communication in which it was alleged that the Commercial Court authorized the withdrawal, without the consent of one of the litigating parties, of an amount of $3.4 million at the Liberian Bank for Development and Investment, which was being held in escrow pending final determination of a commercial dispute between Ducor Petroleum Inc. and the Monrovia Oil Trading Company.
The report further noted that the court unilaterally ordered the withdrawal of more than three million dollars from the bank. The Judicial Inquiry Commission investigation of the case continued at year’s end. The commission is an auxiliary group established within the judiciary with the exclusive power and authority to receive and investigate complaints against judges for violation of any provision of the judicial canons.
But in her letter addressed to H.E. Michael A. McCarthy, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America accredited to Liberia under the caption: U.S. Department of State – 2020 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and labor, and dated March 30th, 2021,Judge Mappy said, “I refer to the matter above reference in which the U.S. State Department reports of an alleged malpractices by Chief Judge Eva Mappy Morgan of the Commercial Court of Liberia, and cites the Global News Network (GNN) as the source of said reporting,” Judge Mappy’s letter addressed to the U.S. Ambassador to Liberia continues.
Expressing her displeasure noted, “Excellency, I take it that you are very aware of that report. However, I have taken the liberty to highlight relevant part of the writing concerning my alleged misconduct, bundled and branded under the caption Denial Of Fair Public Trial”.
The State Department in its report said, “In August the Global News Network reported that Eva Mappy Morgan, Chief Judge of the Commercial Court and President of the National Association of Trial Judges of Liberia, was the subject of an investigation for alleged malpractice. Judge Morgan was linked to a 2013 communication in which it was alleged the Commercial Court authorized the withdrawal without the consent of one of the litigating parties of an amount of 3.4 million at the Liberia Bank for development and Investment (LBDI) which was being held in escrow pending final determination of a commercial dispute between Ducor Petroleum Incorporated, and the Monrovia Trading Oil Company (MOTC). The Court unilaterally ordered the withdrawal of more than three million plus from the bank….”
In her response Judge Morgan noted, “I will not hazard a guess to why I am a subject of a human rights report, and / or why placed under the heading, Denial of Fair Public Trial. I will state especially for the record, and for posterity, that at no time was there ever an amount of US$3.4 million dollars escrowed at the LBDI bank, and subject to my control,” Judge Morgan’s letter to U.S. Ambassador to Liberia continues.
In the communication, Judge Morgan said further narrates, “The entire story reported by the GNN is factually incorrect. The saga of the US$3.4 million dollars is a long-standing smear campaign peddled by some media pundits and unprincipled individuals.”
Having seen the JIC report, it is now cleared that the Chief Judge with any financial fraud as was been reported elsewhere.
Judge Morgan in her letter to the United States Ambassador to Liberia aimed at exonerating herself from the U.S. State Department Human Rights report, was hugely overloaded with condemnations on the GNN report which was highlighted in the U.S. Human Rights report on Liberia.
As a professional media entity operated by one of Liberia’s committed and a well-grounded journalist who have previously worked with renowned media institutions globally including the BBC African Service, and others will not be deterred of any criticisms. This is the reason why we took up time to feature Judge Eva Mappy Morgan’s reaction to the recently released human rights report released by the US Department of State.
We at GNN-Liberia are indeed committed to reporting the truth, and nothing but the truth, and will continue to remain impartial with professionalism.
Watch out for another independent report on the legal battle between the MOTC vs Amos P.K. Brosius/Ducor Petroleum Company
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