Former President Charles G. Taylor has requested the Government of Liberia, through the National Legislature, to make available to him his pension benefits and other due benefits for his service to the nation. As a former president, Taylor said he is entitled to his benefits keeping with the Constitution of the country. He asked the Legislature to ensure that he receives his “lawful annuities.” In a written communication dated September 3, 2012, addressed to the Legislature, Taylor requested his pension benefits covering the period between August 11, 2003, and 2012.
The former Liberian leader was on April 26, 2012, convicted of war crimes and sentenced to 50 years in prison by an international court at The Hague in The Netherlands. The Special Court for Sierra Leone convicted Taylor of supplying and encouraging rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone in a campaign of terror, involving murder, rape, sexual slavery and the conscription children younger than 15.
Prior to his departure from office in 2003, an act providing for retirement pension of the presidents, vice presidents, speaker and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, president pro tempore and the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia was enacted by the-then Senate and House of Representatives. Sections 1.4 of the new Executive Law and 2.4 and Sub-Section 3, of Section 13.4 of the New Judiciary Law were amended prior to the departure of former President Taylor in 2003.
Section 1.4 deals with annuities for presidents and vice presidents and it states that a former president of the Republic of Liberia who has been gainfully employed by the government shall receive from government a pension equal to fifty (50%) percent of the salary of the incumbent President. This means that former president Taylor is entitled to receive half of the salary of current President Johnson Sirleaf.
The law furthered that a former president shall be provided personal staff and facilities for the remainder of his/her life. The amount allowed for this shall not be less than US$25,000 annually. In his communication to the Legislature, Taylor said, “I am without notice as to why Finance ministers of the Republic have failed and/or refused to comply with the law of the land as regards my annuities. The fact is that I have not received my entitlement as set out under our laws. A reasonable observer, properly informed, would reasonably apprehend bias because there is evidence that some individuals that are covered under this Act are receiving their annuities.”
Interestingly, Taylor requested that the funds be made available to his wife, Mrs. Victoria Taylor, along with his three young daughters and other close members of his family who continue to live in his “Villa Yassa Zoe” residence in Congo Town, Monrovia, ruling out Senator Jewel Howard completely. Senator Taylor wedded the former president prior to his ascendancy to the presidency in 1997.
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