Monrovia—Nimba County Senator Prince Johnson has expressed a strained relationship with President Joseph Boakai amidst discussions for the establishment of the War and Economy Crimes Court in Liberia.
Report by J. H. Webster Clayeh, [email protected]
Speaking on Tuesday, March 5, 2024, during a live interview on Truth FM, Senator Johnson revealed that there has been no communication between him and the Liberian leader since President Boakai met with Allan White, a war crime court advocate.
“Mr. Boakai has even refused to pick up my phone because of his connection with the Allan White group, as he feels that I am a war criminal. But we are watching. They want to do something clandestine against us, and we are not going to accept that,” Senator Johnson said.
He added, “My people in Nimba County were killed in cold blood, and we fought in defense. We gave you votes, and you want to go after us? We are not going to accept that. My people in Nimba are listening to you, and you think they are going to sit here and turn me over to you to give me false charges on things that I never did before?”
According to the Nimba County Senator, an amnesty was signed in Accra, Ghana, and put into law by the Legislature, granting warlords immunity from prosecution.
“I want to tell all Liberians – they should pray for our continued peace, which we have enjoyed for 20 plus years due to the amnesty law that was passed and printed into handbill. The Accra Peace Accord was guaranteed by this amnesty law,” he said.
Senator Johnson added, “But if the time has come for President Joseph Boakai and his team to remove or tamper with the amnesty law, then he is tampering with the people’s future.”
When asked whether he is scared about the establishment of the war crimes court, he responded, “It doesn’t scare me; it worries me because it may disrupt our peace. And if there is a reason for disruption, it will be difficult to end because those men that went to Accra, Ghana, I was not there. I only fought for nine months, and I have every document available to show you that the TRC is a bogus document.”
“Mr. Boakai has even refused to pick up my phone because of his connection with the Allan White group, as he feels that I am a war criminal. But we are watching. They want to do something clandestine against us, and we are not going to accept that.”
Senator Prince Y. Johnson
Ex-General Having Consultative Meeting
Still speaking, Senator Johnson said that although his name is always mentioned whenever the topic of the war crimes court is discussed, there are other ex-fighters who are having meetings to reject such calls.
“Although people mention me every time, there are other generals, other majors, and other officers who protected and worked alongside their commanders. They are holding consultative meetings now as I speak with you,” he said.
The Nimba County Senator added, “Since Allan White came, since that video was circulated, consultative meetings have been going on. And if you are not afraid of disruption and you want to tamper with the peace of the nation by removing the amnesty law, I can tell you for a fact that those guys are still alive in the interior, engaging in their gold business, their diamond business. They will not sit down there for you to go after them.”
He continued, “True, true, true, Nimba County has more generals, more officers, more combatants because it was their county that was declared an enemy of the state by the previous regime. You have more combatants who liberated not only Nimba County but the whole of Liberia. So if you want to go after their leader, who is getting old, for giving you the victory in the just-ended election and you feel proud to do that because they have raised US$300 million, some of which they have given to people underground to sign resolutions, why do you sign resolutions when there is an amnesty law passed by the Legislature?”
“My people in Nimba County were killed in cold blood, and we fought in defense. We gave you votes, and you want to go after us? We are not going to accept that. My people in Nimba are listening to you, and you think they are going to sit here and turn me over to you to give me false charges on things that I never did before?”
Senator Prince Y. Johnson
Senator Johnson further stated that he supports the Boakai regime 100 percent despite his decision to establish the war and economy crimes court in Liberia.
“I support the regime whether he gives us more jobs or not. He signed a resolution to support war crimes. We will simply reciprocate to live at peace with ourselves. We cannot support you at the age of 79, and you are bringing people having secret meetings with people to try to impose something on Liberia,” he said.
Senator Johnson added, “My name is everywhere, but there are other people who are listening, and they know that you are going to go after them. Like the economy crime court, you are going to go after George Weah, Madam Sirleaf; you will go after those countries that provided the training ground like Guinea and others. There is going to be total chaos.”