What is former Chief Prosecutor of Sierra Leone’s War Crimes Court US military officer Colonel Alan White’s real interest in Liberia?
By John H. T Stewart, Contributing Writer
Is it pecuniary or a strong desire to seek Justice for Liberians? It is alleged he has a lobby firm that has prior to now been engaged with the Weah government according to informed sources seeking to land his firm an image building lobbying contract from the Liberian government but which never came to pass.
According to sources then Minister of State Nathaniel Farlo McGill was a principal player in the affair. Colonel Alan White was allegedly in charge of securing the safety of witnesses in the Sierra Leone War Crimes Trial.
One of those witnesses was a Gibril Massaquoi who was recently granted reprieve by a Finnish Court. Massaquoi lied about his presence in Monrovia in 2003 right close to the departure of Taylor from Liberia.
According to informed sources Gibril Massaquoi was indeed active in Monrovia during the period and was assigned by Taylor to the Johnson Street Bridge Waterside area
According to very informed sources Massaquoi was on a killing spree, randomly executing fighters and civilians alike allegedly for looting.
Further, according to sources, soldiers and police officers who were assigned as snipers in the EJ Roye building noticed with consternation, Gibril’ s killing spree especially after he shot and killed a Sierra Leone fighter(strongman) supposedly one of his own.
More to that according to informed sources, a police officer, now a lawyer and Magistrate then assigned as a sniper observing the situation from his vantage point in the EJ Roye and fearing that Gibril’ Massaquoi’s actions could induce revolt amongst the fighting men and allow LURD forces to cross the bridge swung into action.
He came down from the EJ Roye building to confront Massaquoi. It was at that time that Police officer Yekeh Kolubah arrived on the scene after being sent, allegedly by Taylor to bring things under control.
So the question is if this man was under protection at a safe house in Freetown what was he doing in Liberia killing Liberians indiscriminately?
Reports reaching me at the time from the Frontline which was just a short distance from home said the indiscriminate killings were part of a ritual blood sacrifice to prevent the rebels from crossing into Monrovia. And it was said at the time to have been ordered by the notorious and feared Benjamin Yeaten, head of Taylor’s security forces.
There are suggestions that Massaquoi was being used by Colonel White to spy on Taylor however such claims could not be verified.
As a matter of public information I have met Colonel Alan White here in Monrovia before and I was left with a strong impression that he was genuinely interested in seeking Justice for Liberians
Having learnt from informed sources that Colonel White was indeed seeking to curry favor with the Weah government with the intent to land himself an image building PR contract, I feel a strong sense of disappointment.
Now I know that it is all about the money which is being appropriated by the US government for the War and Economic Crimes Court . Little wonder why he is opposed to US Ambassador for War Crimes Beth van Schaak playing a lead role in this affair.
But US Colonel Alan White needs to be reminded that Liberia is not Sierra Leone and Sierra Leone is not Liberia.
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