Monrovia – FrontPage Africa has reliably learned that President-elect George Weah has turned down US$2 million offered to him by the Lebanese community in Liberia.
Report by Al Varney Rogers, [email protected]
But the President of the world Lebanese Culture Union has denied report that the Lebanese community offered money to the incoming President.
“It is my first time hearing such thing and I have no knowledge about it,” said Ezzat Eid, President of the Lebanese community in Liberia.
“It’s falsified news, but I can assure you that nothing of such happened,” he added.
Speculations intensified over the alleged gift to the President-elect after a video posted by Facebook user Mark Jabeteh making the disclosure went viral on social media.
When FPA contacted sources closed to the President-elect, they confirmed Jabeteh’s revelation, but could not give further detail.
Jabeteh, in his revelation, said the Lebanese community collected over a million dollars for the inauguration of Mr. Weah.
“The Lebanese community collected 1.5 million plus to be given to Senator George Weah. Who are those that collected the money, Sethi Brothers, George Haddah and Tony Hage, they collect this money and gave it to George Weah for the inauguration,” Jabeteh alleged.
“George Weah shook his head and told them to carry the money back, ‘why is it you did not bring this money to me during the campaign’, Weah said, ‘I’m not in the interest of the Lebanese Community but the Liberian people’, the Lebanese have been exploiting us, they did the same to Johnny Lewis,” he explained in the video post.
However, Eid said, the news comes as a surprise to the community when they are expecting a new leadership.
“The Lebanese Community has no leadership so it is a big lie. We are expecting to get a new leader for the Lebanese Community so the story is far from reality,” he said.
“I’m surprised why they will decide to lie on us, Sethi brothers are part of the Indian community and I can assured you that none of such happened.”
The Indians and Lebanese are the biggest players in Liberia’s economy followed by the Fulahs.
They enjoy privileges of leading the importation of essential commodities such as rice and petroleum.
The Lebanese own many of the vast business empires including hotels, resorts and construction companies.
They have been accused of forging clandestine relationship with top political elites as means of maneuvering through the back channel of major policies that would thwart their dominance of the economy.