MONROVIA, Dec. 10 (LINA)-Arguments in the case involving lawyers representing 48 former Transitional Government Lawmakers and those representing the Ministry of Finance were on Wednesday suspended by Justice in Chambers Justice Philip A. Z. Banks.

According to the Liberia News Agency, Justice Banks said he was suspending arguments in the case to inform Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor to recluse him and to appoint a new presiding Judge over the matter because he, Justice Banks, directly or indirectly presided over the case when he was serving as Justice Minister and Attorney-General of the Republic of Liberia in 2007.

Government lawyers headed by the Solicitor-General of Liberia, Cllr. Betty Lamin Blamo and Montserrado County Attorney Daku Mulbah had earlier asked Justice Banks to recluse himself from presiding over the case because of his involvement in the matter in 2007 as Justice Minister.

The  Forty-Eight  former Transitional Government Lawmakers under the Ruth Sando Perry administration through their legal counsels headed by Cllr. Cooper Kruah of the Henries Law Firm and Cllr. Lawrence Yeakulah in 2007 petitioned the Supreme Court to pay them the amount of US$7 million
for 17 years.

Out of the amount, US$6 million is for honorarium, while the balance US$1million is for salaries.
LINA