Monrovia – Liberia’s national team coach James Salinsa Debbah has apologized to journalist Danesius Marteh for his brutality meted against him.
Report by Christopher C. Walker – [email protected]
The disclosure which was made by the Liberia Football Association (LFA) on its official Facebook page was confirmed by Marteh who told FrontPageAfrica that he would be taking the issue to the law.
Marteh expressed dissatisfaction over the failure of the LFA to institute punishment against coach Debbah for his action.
According to him, he was offered US$100 compensation for cost of his treatment, but he refused the money.
Marteh told FrontPageAfrica he is consulting his lawyers who would subsequently take the case to court.
It can be recalled that Marteh was allegedly assaulted by Debbah on August 26 at the end of a sports program on Fabric Radio which is jointly presented by Trojan Molley Kiazolu, Sylvester Worwee and Marteh.
The feud between the two sports men started over salary contention raised by the coach. Debbah had complained that the LFA’s failure to settle seven months’ salary arrears owed the coaches.
As Debbah expressed his frustration over the saga, journalist Marteh differed with his assertions and joined the LFA’s Vice President for administration, Musa Shannon who asked Debbah to resign if he was disenchanted over his salary arrears.
Marteh on the other hand referred to Debbah as being inconsistent about his opinion of LFA’s President Musa Bility’s leadership, wherein at one point in time he described him as the worst LFA boss and other time, refers to him as the best ever; therefore, there was no need for the hullabaloo over the salary.
Coach Debbah lost his cool as he and Marteh had their verbal exchanges, and eventually, listeners of the talk show heard tussles in the background just before the program was immediately cut off the air.
Following the incident Marteh wrote a formal complaint to LFA, Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Press Union of Liberia and the Liberia National Police about Debbah’s action against him while on his journalistic duty.
As a result of Marteh’s complaint, a conference was called by the Football house between Debbah and Marteh with a focus of finding an amicable solution to the problem, but to the dismay of the LFA Debbah didn’t show up for the first conference on September 2 after agreeing to honor the call.
Debbah was strongly warned by Henry Browne, technical director of the LFA and Ansu Dulleh Chairman of Competition that if he failed to turn up for the next conference a harsh action was going to be taken against him.
The former Liberian striker was present at the second conference on September 4, 2017 and according to report, he admitted brutalizing Marteh and was allegedly forced by the panel to apologize to Marteh which he did.