Liberia: Sen. Moye’s Office Dismisses Witherspoon’s Allegations as False and Misleading

GBARNGA, BONG COUNTY – The Office of Prince Kermue Moye has issued a rebuttal to statements made by Stanton Witherspoon, Chief Executive Officer of Spoon Network, during his March 3, 2026 podcast broadcast.

By Selma Lomax, [email protected] 

During the broadcast, Witherspoon alleged that Senator Moye is “milking the country” through his role as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways, Means and Finance, and insinuated that the Senator sought assignment to the Committee for corrupt purposes.

The Senator’s Office has described these allegations as false, malicious, and entirely devoid of factual foundation.

According to the statement, Senator Moye does not appoint himself to committees. His appointment as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways, Means and Finance was the result of the confidence and trust reposed in him by his colleagues in the Liberian Senate.

The Office emphasized that the Committee is one of the most demanding and technically complex within the Legislature, bearing responsibility for oversight of the national budget, revenue generation, and fiscal policy.

It noted that to suggest service on such a Committee is motivated by corruption is defamatory and undermines the integrity of the Senate as an institution.

The statement further asserted that throughout his tenure, Senator Moye has consistently advocated for fiscal discipline, transparency in budgetary allocations, and strengthened oversight of public expenditure. His legislative record, the Office maintained, reflects active engagement in national financial governance rather than personal enrichment.

Witherspoon also claimed that Senator Moye used his proximity to President Joseph Boakai  to secure all Deputy Ministerial positions for his confidants. The Office categorically rejected this assertion, describing it as either a misunderstanding of constitutional processes or a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.

It clarified that under the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, the authority to appoint Deputy Ministers rests solely with the President, and that Senator Moye neither possesses nor exercises unilateral authority to appoint officials to the Executive Branch.

Addressing specific appointments, the Office explained that Madam Martha Morris, appointed in 2024 as Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Health, maintains a longstanding and independent relationship with President Boakai.

She serves as Chairperson of the Unity Party in Bong County and played a pivotal leadership role in mobilizing support for the party before and during the 2023 general elections. Her political engagement and national visibility, the statement noted, predated her appointment and were not the result of any alleged manipulation by Senator Moye.

Regarding Bill McGill Jones, also appointed in 2024 as Deputy Minister for Administration of the Ministry of Finance, the Office stated that his selection must be viewed within the framework of equitable regional representation.

The Office clarified that during the administration of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), natives of Bong County served in senior capacities at the Ministry of Finance, including as Deputy Minister and Assistant Minister. The President’s appointment of Mr. Jones, the statement said, reflects considerations of competence, balance, and inclusion rather than favouritism engineered by the Senator.

The Office described the narrative that Senator Moye orchestrated appointments for financial gain as speculative, inflammatory, and unsupported by verifiable evidence.

Highlighting the Senator’s personal and professional background, the statement noted that long before his election to the National Legislature in 2011, he was an established entrepreneur engaged in legitimate cross border trade in Guinea, Ivory Coast, and Nigeria.

He was widely recognized in Bong County as an industrious businessman who, through discipline and determination, constructed his first residential home at age 17. By age 19, he was actively conducting legitimate business across neighbouring countries. At age 20, he built his second home, a property leased to the Civil Service Agency of Liberia (CSA) since 2010.

The Office further indicated that Senator Moye invested in agriculture, including the development of one of the largest palm farms in Bong County, and acquired substantial real estate holdings years before holding public office.

Approximately half of his current properties, the statement emphasized, were obtained prior to his first electoral victory. His entry into public service, it added, was driven by a desire to serve rather than financial necessity, and his repeated electoral victories by absolute majority margins demonstrate sustained public trust in his leadership.

The Office of Senator Moye reaffirmed that while public accountability is essential in a democracy, it must be grounded in facts, evidence, and responsible journalism, not conjecture and sensational commentary.

It added by stating that the Senator remains open to any lawful, transparent, and institutional review of his record and will not be distracted by baseless accusations, as his focus remains on serving the people of Bong County and the Republic of Liberia with integrity, diligence, and a firm commitment to sound fiscal stewardship and inclusive national development.