ECOWAS Court Delivers Judgment On Taylor’s Entitlement Tomorrow

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice will tomorrow deliver judgment in a suit filed by former Liberian president, Dr. Charles Taylor asking the court to order the Republic of Liberia to pay his pension and other benefits for 20 years following his 11th August 2003 resignation from office.

On the panel for the case are Justices Dupe Atoki, presiding, Mohamed Sengu Koroma and Ricardo Claudio Monteiro Goncalves.

According a statement issued by the communications division of the court, Taylor in his 10-page initiating application filed before the court, asked for a declaration that the refusal of the respondent to pay him his pension and other retirement benefits from August 11, 2003 till date is illegal and a violation of his human right, including the right to own property guaranteed by Article 14 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples Rights and Article 17 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

He also asked the court for an order mandating the respondent, the Republic of Liberia to pay his pension and other retirement benefits from August 11, 2003 till date, plus six per cent interest per month and thereafter made the payment of his pension benefits current.

In addition, he asked for order, “mandating the country to provide for staff, security and legally prescribed transportation for his wife and children, in applicant’s presence, for the remainder of the lives as well as pay him the sum of $5,000 being the solicitor’s fees and other incidental costs.”

But in its defence, the Republic of Liberia stated that the former president did not qualify for the entitlements provided for in the Act of 6th July 1978 cited by the applicant as the basis for the suit as he did not retire honorably, which would mean voluntarily quitting office, having reached a certain age but was under a criminal indictment by the Special Court of Sierra Leone.

“The Act qualifies in clear and unequivocal terms the mode and manner of a president’s retirement and his status after retirement in order for him or her to benefit under the provision of the Act,” Liberia said in its response.

The government further contended that in view of the prevailing political and military situation in the country and in order to save his life, the former president negotiated and accepted an arrangement under which he resigned and was exiled to Nigeria where he was arrested while trying to flee and ultimately sent for trial at the Special Court.