Members of the 52nd National Legislature Friday 20, 2008 began their annual break following nine months of legislative transactions.

The break which is named and styled agriculture break was enacted into law by the 50th Legislature, is aimed at affording lawmakers the opportunity to visit their constituents and make progress reports on their activities during the past sitting.

According to the Act creating the annual break, the National Legislature is entitled to take their vocation on July 31 of each year and expected to return to work in January the following year.

Members of the 52nd Legislature have been doing legislature businesses beyond the stipulated time as required by law due to a request from the Executive for the Lawmakers to extend the vocation by months, so as to allow the Legislature to pass laws that President Sirleaf needed to be passed before they can adjourn for their Annual vacation.

Based on the president’s request, both Houses signed a Joint Resolution aimed at legalizing their sitting beyond the stipulated time frame. But as the lawmakers depart the Capitol Building September 20, they are expected to resume full legislative function in January of 2009, but what is still uncertain is whether the two Houses will adjourn together.

Article 40 of the 1986 Constitution states that both House shall adjourn for more than five days without the consent of the other and both Houses shall always sit in the same city.

In a related development, the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, Atty. James Kaba briefly told reporters that the adjourning of the legislature for the annual break will be climaxed by official program expected to be graced by several dignitaries including some diplomats as well as officials of the other branches of government

Kwapleh Boss Frowns On ECOBANK-Liberia

The President and Chief Executive Officer of Kwaplah International Mr. Sherlock Mahn has frowned on ECOBANK Liberia limited, saying that it breached banking ethics by allowing one person to open corporate account and deposit check and drawn the said amount the same day.

Speaking in Monrovia recently, he said the company’s former Country Manager Abednego Dahn opened a secret corporate account at the bank and deposited a check belonging to the organization.

Although the checks were restrictively endorsed for deposit only, ECOBANK personnel allegedly conspired with Mr. Dahn and illegally cashed the checks, paying the funds over the counter on the same day.

It can be recalled that prior to Mr. Dahn dismissal on February 20, 2008 for his allegedly poor performance on job, Kwaplah had purchased vehicles and other items for two government ministries for which two checks totaling US$166,080 were paid by the Ministry Finance on behalf of the government to Kwaplah.

“The over counter payment clearly violated the restrictively endorsement on the checks Central Bank of Liberia banking procedures which provides that checks drawn on another bank shall take at least three days to go through the clearing houses,” he said.

However, on February 8, 2008, just few days before Mr. Dahn’s dismissal, he signed and received the two checks which he failed to turn over to the finance section of Kwaplah consistent with the corporation’s internal operating procedure.

According to Mr. Mahn, even though he was not a signatory to Kwaplah account, he maneuvered the process. Meanwhile, the former manager has been found guilty by the court and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, and fined US$50,000 for failing to appear in court during the reading of his sentences.

Kwaplah International is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Liberia and is engaged in the businesses such as procuring agricultural equipment, automobiles, electrical equipment, general electronics appliances and accessories, laboratory equipment and other basic items for international NGOs, Liberia government and other foreign and domestics corporations.

According to him when Mr. Dahn received the checks, he wrote Mr. Sherlock Mahn the President/ CEO Kwaplah International, confirming receipt of the checks but stated that he would hold on to the checks until reasonable explanation in strict reference to his employment contract were addressed.

On February 14, 2008, Dahn took the checks to ECOBANK Liberia Limited for encashment. Although he was not an authorized signatory to Kwaplah account nor did the Board of Directors issue any resolution designating ECOBANK as Kwaplah depository, Dahn took the checks to premises and allegedly illegally opened a corporate account in the name of Kwaplah.

Central Bank of Liberia, as the regulatory entity for all commercial banks in the country, failed to exercise due diligence and the required standard procedure in handling Kwaplah checks.

He indicated that CBL new that it was not a standard practice in the banking community for checks drawn on another bank which were restrictively endorsed “for deposit only”, to be cashed over the counter restrictively endorsement.

That as a direct and proximate result of the illegal and unlawful conduct of Mr. Dahn, ECOBANK Liberia and Central Bank of Liberia, Kwaplah suffered serious embarrassment as it could not use the funds to finance other contracts it had executed with other entities.

That an action of damages for wrong will properly lie to recover from the defendants the sum of US$166,080 as special damages and an amount of US$1 million as general damages as a result of loss of business.

Kwaplah International is a United States Federal government certified minority owned procurement and international development consultancy firm.

Kwaplah International is operating in many countries including; Liberia, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, United States of America, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Ghana, The Gambia amongst others.

Meanwhile, when ECOBANK -Liberia was contacted through the public relations department about the allegations this paper was told that they (ECOBANK -Liberia) will make an official statement through their lawyer.