Dr. Tipoteh joins War Crimes Court campaign

A renowned Liberian politician welcomes current efforts to legislate war and economic crimes courts for Liberia to revert the nation from sliding into its ugly past.

By Lincoln G. Peters

Monrovia, Liberia, April 18, 2024—Veteran Liberian politician, economist, and scholar Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh joins the call for the establishment of war and economic crimes courts to end impunity, noting that Liberia is headed for poverty, lawlessness, and corruption.   

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The NEW DAWN, the former Presidential candidate notes that research conducted by AfroBarometer in 2022 found that the people of Liberia believe their country is headed in the wrong direction.

According to him, the Liberian legislature has access to two hundred thousand Liberian Dollars a day. In contrast, their foreign friends have access to sixty-three hundred million a day, and the rest of the Liberian people have at most three hundred Liberian dollars a day.  

The renowned economist laments that the country currently wallops in a culture of “rule of outlaw” amid widespread impunity, using the phrase, ‘ That’s the way it ends now, oh because that is how it was built.’

Dr. Tipoteh: “Now, what is the wrong direction? The wrong direction is poverty, corruption, and lawlessness. This is the situation that has led to violence. Violence in evidence is the coup and the civil war. The civil war killed over three hundred thousand persons, while several were wounded and displayed.”

A member of the Progressive class reveals that in a bid to prevent Liberia from sliding into its ugly past, he has been providing leadership by sharing information about these things to motivate people to work through the rule of law instead, adding that the information is working into effect.

Founder and former standard bearer of the Liberian People’s Party (LPP), he notes that through the rule of law, Liberians have brought down policymakers who went to the legislature so that they can have good laws implemented.

“The evidence by this information I have been sharing is the recent 2023 election. From the 52-54 legislature, 75% of people who wanted to be elected were not re-elected. That happened as a result of the information. We are giving the people information on the legislature’s bad record.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Tipoteh says he welcomes and supports the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in Liberia, adding that it is time that those who committed crimes against the state and humanity be brought to justice to end impunity.

He notes that impunity is, however, gradually disappearing because of the information they share and provide, which prevented over 75% of lawmakers from being re-elected.

“I support anything that promotes justice. And so, I support the war and economic crimes court. Justice prevails when those people who committed crimes against the state and humanity are brought to justice. So, it’s impossible to have justice when people commit crimes and go with impunity,” he says.