IPNEWS: Former Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. Musa Dean has filed a sweeping Bill of Information, challenging the legal grounds for holding him liable over an official opinion issued during his tenure—an opinion now linked to the incarceration of former Assistant Minister Emmanuel T. T. Swen.
Dean argues that his advisory to the Ministry of Mines and Energy was based on information provided by the Ministry of Justice and falls squarely within his statutory duty to offer legal counsel to executive agencies, as mandated by Executive Law Rev. Code 12:22(c). He insists that such opinions, rendered in good faith, should not expose officials to personal liability.
Court records reveal troubling procedural lapses. According to minutes from September 29, 2025, Dean was neither present nor represented by counsel when rulings—including one from September 26—were issued, ultimately leading to Swen’s imprisonment. Dean describes the process as a “travesty of justice.”
The Bill raises urgent constitutional questions:
• Can a former Justice Minister be held liable for an official legal opinion?
• Who bears responsibility for satisfying a judgment based on a Supreme Court opinion?
• Can someone be bound by a judgment in a case they weren’t party to?
• Does this case warrant imprisonment?
• Is a Bill of Information the proper legal remedy?
This legal challenge has ignited broader debate over due process, executive accountability, and the boundaries of legal authority in Liberia. The court’s full ruling is expected in the coming weeks. By Melvin Jackson
