Monrovia – Three men who alleged that they were sent by stalwarts of the Unity Party to assassinate Coalition of Democratic Change George Weah are spending their first night behind bars at the Monrovia Central Prison.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson Mbayo, [email protected]
On Tuesday the three were charged with criminal malevolence, false public alarm, false statement, false report to law enforcement and disorderly conduct.
The charge sheet revealed that, George Barry, alias Ivorian, Mustapha Sesay, Oldpa Weh claimed they were hired by businessman George Kailondo who was accordingly acting in concert with Defense Minister Brownie Samukai and Vice President Joe Boakai to create commotion during the CDC political rally that took place on August 19 which would have led to the taking down of Weah by hired Russian assassins.
Mr. Kailondo is the UP Montserrado County Campaign Chairman while Minister Samukai is a staunch supporter of Vice President Boakai’s bid for the presidency.
Mr. Kailondo termed the allegation as rubbish that deserves not to be dignified.
‘Ivorian’, claimed to be the leader of the trio, said he was contacted by Kailondo who he has known for a very long time. According to him, when Kailondo called him he also contacted Moustapha and Long John to accompany him to see Kailondo at his residence.
‘Ivorian’ further explained while they were with Mr. Kailondo, when he received a call after which he came back to them asking, “The papay say y’all sure y’all can do it?”
This, he said, gave him the hint that the Vice President was involved in the conspiracy.
For Mustapha Sesay, he recounted that he was hired in 2014 to cause instability at the PHP between supporters of George Weah and Robert Sirleaf during the special senatorial elections.
“Since 2014, we have been incited and hired to do things that we were not to do. We did those things because of life conditions in our country, but we were not willing to do those things,” he said.
“We were told that George Weah needed to be assassinated because we have done it before and they know we can do it again.
During the night of the CDC’s launching, we passed at the headquarters, but people identified us because the pickup was not tainted,” he said.
He said following the identification and coupled with their lifestyles, they became afraid and decided to take precaution.
“We continue to receive calls of encouragement that we should not be afraid,” he said.
During the police investigation, it was revealed that witness Emmanuel Dahn, Monsterrado County District 7 representative candidate was the first contact of the trio in early August at the Monsterrado County branch.
Dahn asked the men to help mobilize potential voters to support his bid as they are said to be ‘popular’ within the district.
The trio agreed to mobilize voters for Dahn, and they asked him to sponsor a football tournament which he did.
Dahn reportedly introduced the men to Saye Maye Cole and Kailondo, Unity Party National Chairman on Mobilization and gave 100 pieces of T- shirts to them on August 18, 2017, for distribution to partisans that they know.
During the alleged meeting with Kailondo and Cole at Kailondo hotel, nothing was discussed relative to Vice President Joseph Boakai, Defense Minister Brownie Samukai neither CDC political leader Weah.
According to Police, the men took the shirts to CDC headquarters and held a press conference which had no iota of truth but presented the UP shirts to CDC on the false and baseless allegation.
“The CDC did not report or initially call the Police to investigate the alleged plot of the assassination of their political leader immediately upon hearing or listening to the allegation against their political leader Weah, which was on the 23, of August 2017 until five days which was the 28,” hte charge sheet stated.
The police said since January to August 30, 2017, only three Russians have entered Liberia according to the Liberia Immigration Service.
The investigation findings revealed that the men have never had any conversation with Vice President Boakai.
The Police said Koijee and Sheik Sackor were in constant communication with the men until they thought they were wanted to kill.
The investigation with the men showed that they were asked to mobilize their friends to wear Unity Party shirt to attend the jamboree at the party’s headquarter.
Police disclosed that the trio is hard core criminals as per police records and that they cannot be trusted and their statements against the UP were concocted.
The Police said between August 13-28 this year Koijee placed 7-calls to suspect Ivorian and one of these calls was placed on the 22nd of August, the eve of the CDC press conference, Koijee also placed a call to Ivorian on August 28, while he was within the police holding cell undergoing investigation.
Koijee and Sackor denied consistently communicating with Ivorian, but the LNP said they were hypnotized by the CDC partisans who were in communications with them prior to and after the arranged press conference.
“They concocted and tailored the assassination story to win hearts of CDCians detrimental to the peace of the Liberian people and sub-region.”