MONROVIA – Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence has branded claims linking her to the civil war as lies and scare tactics intended to stop her from speaking for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in Liberia.
In recent days, a photo of a young lady carrying arms and standing next to former President Charles Taylor’s ex-wife, Agnes Reeves Taylor has been cropped and trending on social media as photo of Senator Karngar-Lawrence.
But responding via her official Facebook Page, Senator Karngar-Lawrence, currently the Liberty Party’s political leader and Chairperson of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) wrote: “Now they say I was fighting war. Your get [You have] plenty work to do! We will not take scare tactics and lies over Liberia. We will fight to restore the image of our country. So help me God.”
Last Thursday, Senator Prince Y. Johnson picked bone with her while raging at her fellow partisan, Darius Dillon whom he accused of provoking him with the establishment of war crimes court.
While venting at Dillon, Senator Johnson was heard accusing Senator Karngar-Lawrence of being in a relationship with Chief Cyril Allen, one of former President Taylor’s henchman.
The debate over whether or not to establish a war and economic crimes court has reawakened in recent days as Senator Johnson made it no secret that he doesn’t support an establishment of such court because he and others who were involved have been given amnesty.
In recent days, the Nimba lawmaker has provided many justifications for his role in the civil war. According to the Senator he did what he did in revenge for the people of Nimba who were being killed by the Samuel Doe-Government.
The once feared notorious rebel leader, now turned evangelist is seen on many videos either giving instruction for the execution of someone or himself executing. One of the popular is the execution of former President Doe which he hasn’t denied.
Johnson, who has expressed no regrets for his actions, always takes solace in the pulpit – using it to either justify some of the atrocities he committed during the war or denying some of the war crimes attributed to him.
After his outburst during the session when Senator Abraham Dillon called for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court, it was expected that Senator Johnson who could not contain his rage at Sen. Dillon’s mention of “war crimes court” and subsequently walked out of session, would have mounted the pulpit on Sunday to further justify his participation in the ‘senseless war’. He believed that Sen. Dillon was intentionally provoking him.
On Sunday at his Chapel of Faith Ministry, the former INPFL rebel general now Senator of Nimba County responded to some of the many allegations against him; and first on his list was the accusation that he killed Tecumseh Roberts, a famous rising musical star at the time that he accused of being gay.
While on the pulpit, he took excerpts from the book ‘A Nation in Terror’ by James Youboty that exonerates him from that allegation. The book narrates that Senator Johnson’s principal deputy in the INPFL, Samuel Varney, carried out the execution of Tecumseh.
“Senator Johnson said: “People say I am a mass murderer; I am not perfect but I didn’t kill Tecumseh Roberts. I have documentary evidence on how he was killed. He was a good singer, I used to like him. He was my friend. We were singing when I got the news that the AFL was attacking us, I left him and went on the battlefront by the time I got back, General Samuel Varney had killed him because he believed he was gay.”
“I wasn’t happy but I couldn’t do anything because Varney was my deputy and a key part of my warring faction and he has some men who were loyal to him. If I had done anything to Varney, it would have caused division in my army so I had to live with it and that is something I still feel bad about.”