The recent appointment of Musa Dean to the Supreme Court has ignited a wave of questions, stemming from the resignation of Judge Joseph Nagbe due to health reasons. Judge Nagbe requested early retirement on December 27, a request accepted by outgoing President George Weah. Consequently, Weah’s current Minister of Justice, Musa Dean, assumes the vacancy left by Joseph Nagbe. This nomination, just three weeks before Weah departs from the presidency, raises concerns about the timing and motivation behind this decision.
While health concerns are cited as the primary reason, observers point out that Judge Nagbe has been dealing with health issues since 2018 and could have resigned much earlier. Additionally, as of now, there is no public sight of his resignation letter.
“Why this urgency to appoint Musa Dean now?” questions Oscar Bloh, a governance specialist.
Blessing Jacobs of the Justice Forum Liberia NGO questions the relevance of bringing in a new judge “when in three weeks, we will have a change in government.”
Joseph Boakai has announced his intention to scrutinize all public contracts from the outgoing administration, potentially revealing compromising details for George Weah.
According to him, Weah’s choice of Musa Dean for the Supreme Court is driven by the outgoing president’s desire to preemptively shield himself and his associates from potential legal repercussions. Ibrahim al-Bakri Nyei, a political analyst, believes it is too early to determine whether Dean will be an instrument for promoting or undermining justice solely to protect George Weah.
The Minister of Justice was previously a member of Joseph Boakai’s Unity Party before joining George Weah’s government.