IPNEW: The Supreme Court of Liberia has reserved final ruling into a re-hearing the case between Gracious Ride and the Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Task Force on January 14, 2025. The case centers on the legality of the task force, established through President Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s Executive Order #126, and its actions in seizing Gracious Ride’s vehicles in March 2024.
Key Arguments from Gracious Ride (Petitioners):
Illegality of Task Force: The task force lacks legislative approval, violating Article 89 of the Constitution, which mandates legislative oversight for autonomous commissions.
Separation of Powers: Executive Order #126 infringes on Article 3, which enshrines the separation of powers, and Article 34, reserving lawmaking powers for the Legislature.
Duplicate Functions: The task force undermines legally established bodies like the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU).
Violation of Rights: Vehicles were seized unlawfully without court orders or notice, causing harm to operations.
Key Arguments from the Government (Respondents):
Executive Authority: The president acted within his constitutional powers under Article 50 to issue Executive Order #126.
Necessity of Task Force: The task force was essential for recovering suspected stolen assets.
Procedural Errors: While admitting mistakes in the seizure process, the government argued that the actions were justified in principle.
Judicial Queries:
Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh and other justices questioned the legality and procedural of fairness of the task force’s actions, particularly the lack of prior notice before the seizures. COURTESY OF- The Liberian Investigator
