Monrovia – The Office of former Liberian President George Manneh Weah has accused the Unity Party (UP) led-government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of tyrannically using the judiciary to hunt political opponents in the country.
By Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
According to the Office Chief of Staff Lenn Eugene Nagbe, evidence being provided against some ex-officials of the Weah administration are not strong enough to have them convicted.
He made specific reference to corruption and criminal cases involving the former Ministers of Finance and Development Planning, Foreign Affairs Samuel Tweah and Dee Maxwell Kemayah, ex-First Lady and Chief of Protocol Clar Weah and Finda Bundoo, and the former Speaker of the House of Representatives Fonati Koffa.
Speaking when he appeared as guest on the OK Morning Rush Show on OK FM99.5 on Thursday, December 4, Mr. Nagbe claimed that investigation surrounding suspicions over the usage of government money must commence from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
He said the government should not be requesting those accused, especially the Clar Hope Foundation, to present evidence against themselves.
He noted that vouchers displaying the payments of monies under dubious circumstances to those accused should be provided by the government.
Mr. Nagbe claimed that Madam Weah did nothing wrong by raising money for the support of children in Liberia.
He emphasized that Madam Weah and her husband’s track record of providing scholarships to Liberians are being “blemished by the chicanery” being implored by the Boakai-Koung administration.
He called on President Boakai and his officials to prepare themselves for the consequences of a tyrannical rule of a country as history has its own way of repeating.
“Look at all the cases in court and what they are putting forward; these people would be vindicated because, its just the tyrannical use of the judiciary to hunt political opponents. It’s not anything real that they are trying to recover assets. Look at what they doing to Clar Hope Foundation-somebody just wake up one day and say oh you used government money,” he maintained
Where is the loot?
He claimed that the UP ascended to state power based on the lies and misinformation told against the Weah led-administration.
Nagbe observed that the Boakai-Koung led government, through the Minister of Information Jeronlinmek Piah, has consistently accused the Weah-administration of looting the country.
He added that despite establishing an Asset Recovery and Property Retrieval Taskforce (AREPT), the government is yet to “show the loot.”
He claimed AREPT is chasing “shadows” instead of recovering or retrieving stolen wealth or properties.
“They said CDC looted the country; where is the loot that they talked about? They indicted the former Minister of Foreign Affairs for bags of rice-is that the loot? These people who are in court would be vindicated,” he stated.
Security transactions ongoing
Nagbe maintained that the case brought against former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, for his involvement in national security transactions, is not unique to the Weah-government alone.
He claimed that similar security transactions are also ongoing under the Boakai-Koung led-government.
“People think that because you have power you can behave in a tyrannical way and misuse your power of indictment to grab people and put them in court because they have power. These things have consequences.
He added that Mr. Tweah’s liberty has been seized along with other partisans of the CDC including former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief of Protocol Fonati Koffa and Finda Bundoo.
“Finda was in a hospital bed when she was indicted for being a good business woman. She will be vindicated,” he furthered.
He termed the ongoing construction of a US$10million presidential villa in Lofa as a continuation of “theft and deception” under the Boakai-Koung government.
He added that the 285 yellow machines expected to be brought in the country by the government are characterized by many stories from the Liberian leader and his Vice President.
Nagbe challenged Liberian journalists to ask the hard questions on the presidential villa and the yellow machines procurement.
He further claimed that the toxic nature of Liberian politics is deeply rooted within the governing UP.
He made reference to the use of invectives against past national leaders by some public officials of the government.
“This is not good for our democracy; we should have a discourse, exchange of ideas or platforms or plans for the public. But the discourse is so toxic now that the voices of reasoning are drowned by the toxic rhetoric,” he added.
He used the occasion to disclose that the ex-Liberian President George Manneh Weah is currently in the United States to participate in a FIFA program, ahead of the World Cup draw scheduled for December 5.
Weah is currently spearheading the FIFA Anti-racism drive campaign.
Nagbe said the Liberian leader is cognizant of concerns being raised by some CDC partisans that he (Weah) is too weak and peaceful to head the party’s ticket ahead of the 2029 general and presidential elections.
He said though some partisans want their political leader to be radical on national issues, the ex-President remains a statesman who would continue to work and act within the confines of the law.
“When they say radicalism, perhaps we should ask them what they mean by that. But the CDC will always take a stand in protection, not just the rights of the CDC but also the rights of all Liberians. And President Weah needs that; but he will always operate within the confines of decency, civility and the law,” he noted.
Nagbe, however, vowed not to accept a job in the current administration due to the critical role he has to play within the CDC for the return of Weah to the presidency.
According to him, the CDC has been preparing for a Weah second term.
He disclosed that the party is currently strengthening its structures across the country and working to assure Liberians that the party can do better if given a second chance to lead Liberia.
“We believe our message is resonating not just with the people it (CDC) before, but with people who now have realized that this whole UP agenda was just a gimmick that’s now sustainable. There is a consequence for tyrannical rule,” he noted.
Nagbe maintained that the UP has “no ideas to run the country properly.”
Meanwhile, the government is yet to respond to the accusation raised by the office of former President Weah through his Chief of Staff Lenn Eugene Nagbe.
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