MONROVIA, Montserrado – The Concerned Citizens United to Bring Our Money Back, also, referred to as COCUBOMB, has criticized House Speaker Bhofal Chambers for his recent comments excluding the legislature from questioning by international investigators examining the case of the missing billions of Liberian banknotes.

COCUBOMB is a coalition of over 26 civil society organizations established to advocate for accountability over the reportedly missing banknotes.

Last week, Chambers made a controversial comment during a press conference held at his Capitol Building office that the legislature cannot be invited by any institution for an investigation. He said anyone who wanted to engage the House of Representatives should do so through a request and the House of Representatives would decide whether to submit.

COCUBOMB claims that the speaker’s statement contained blame-shifting on former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. It meanwhile considers the statement as an “unwarranted display of arrogance, crudity and scare tactics” intended to prejudice the ongoing forensic investigation.

“This is what happens when a poverty-stricken nation like Liberia has a puppeteering speaker whose utmost interest is embellished in massive greed and racketeering,” the group said. “Such emotional outburst is the most appropriate reaction from a rather ‘guilty speaker’ than an ‘innocent speaker.’”

COCUBOMB challenged the speaker to show a provision in the constitution or any law that exempts lawmakers from being investigated for corruption.

“A speaker who does not frankly disagree with the president, even when our constitution and almost all of our laws are being violated, is a rubber-stamped speaker who can easily be used as an insatiable conduit of shady deals and racketeering,” the group added.

It advised the foreign investigators to give no credence to Chambers’ statements. The group further called for a comprehensive audit of the National Legislature for activities occurring since 2006.

When contacted, the political officer for the speaker’s office, George Watkins, told The Bush Chicken in a phone interview that the leadership of COCUBOMB is a group of university students who are not focused on their studies but serve to distract others with good vision.

Grand Bassa’s fifth district representative, Thomas Goshua, also earlier differed with the speaker on his comment. Goshua said he believes that no one is above the law and if lawmakers are called for an investigation by any group as it relates to the missing billions, they must submit themselves.

Featured photo by Zeze Ballah