The Liberia NGOs Network (LINNK) has taken the Government of Liberia to task for excluding it from the vetting committee for the recruitment of the Executive Director of the Office of War and Economic Crimes Court (WECC) of Liberia.
The group said it had observed a significant oversight in the formation of the vetting committee tasked with recruiting, vetting, and recommending three candidates to the President of Liberia, Joseph N. Boakai, for the appointment of Executive Director for the Office of the War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia, in that the network, as the apex body representing all nongovernmental organizations, was left out in this process.
In a press release dated August 17, 2024, the National Chairman of LINNK, Evangelist Stephen B. Norman, said that the Network views its exclusion from the Presidential Recruitment and Vetting Committee as a serious oversight that requires immediate reconsideration. “As an independent institution established by law with the support of the EU, UNDP, and other partners, LINNK has a strong history of advocacy both in Liberia and globally.
The organization participated in the War Crimes Court (no peace without justice special court) in Sierra Leone and served as the founding chairman of the Outreach Secretariat of Liberia, which raised awareness about the trial of former Liberian President Charles G. Taylor in Sierra Leone and The Hague,” Norman said. Additionally, He said LINNK is a member of, and serves as the Treasurer for West Africa in the International Council on Social Protection.
According to the release, Norman recalled that LINNK launched a massive public awareness campaign to emphasize the importance of establishing the War and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia, ensuring citizens participation for peace, justice and accountability. Meanwhile, the Liberia NGOs Network Chairman has called on President Boakai to include LINNK in the vetting committee in the interest of peace and justice.
