Monrovia – As part of an April 22, 2016 civil law court ruling (File No. 2016CV239-1), Judge Eugene Benton of the Newton County Court in the U.S. State of Georgia ruled that Montserrado County Senator George Manneh Weah was the biological father of his 10 year-old child and instructed the football legend to pay one thousand united states dollars per month pending further order.
Montserrado County Senator U.S. Child Abandonment Case Draws Scrutiny on Liberia Lawmakers Salaries
The ruling which is now in the possession of FrontPageAfrica reads:
“The plaintiff having Counsel and the Defendant failed to show for the final hearing. The Court having heard the testimony from the Plaintiff found that it was in the child’s best interest to enter a temporary final order for child support. The court orders the following:
The Following Is The Final Order:
The Defendant is the biological father of the minor child, xxxxxxx (name has been deleted to protect the child’s privacy) born in 2005 per the DNA results taken on or about May 1st, 2015.
On a temporary basis, the Father shall child support in the amount of US$1,000.00 per month commencing May 1st, 2016 to be paid on the 1st day of each month, and continuing every month thereafter until further order of the court.
All other issues shall be reserved for a final hearing.
So, ordered this 22 Day of April 2016”
FrontPageAfrica has learned that Senator Weah reportedly demanded a DNA test on the child, 10, and result showed that he was 99.9% the father, a fact the court documents have now verified.
According to court documents obtained by FrontPageAfrica, the child’s mother, Meapeh Kou Gono through a lawyer, made the case before a judge who is now tasked with the responsibility to determine whether there is probable cause that Mr. Weah abandoned his parental responsibility.
Supporters of Senator Weah took to social media Monday following the FrontPageAfrica revelation to castigate the mother of the lawmaker’s Weah’s child, Ms Meapeh Gono Glay and accused FrontPageAfrica of making up the story for political purposes.
Sam Mannah wrote:
“To our supporters, We would like to inform you that there’s no arrest warrant whatsoever being issued for Amb. Weah in the U.S. The story Carried my Frontpage Africa is false to the core.”
“Arrest warrants are public records in the U.S., visit this link, and you will NOT find the name George Weah on there. FrontPageAfrica blundered by saying that there’s an arrest warrant and a court date set.”
A court officer however explained to FrontPageAfrica Monday that it is policy for notices to be taken down after a defendant has filed an appealed. In Senator Weah’s case, it was reportedly taken down because of the appeal filed by the lawmaker’s lawyers.
Mr. Mannah continued:
“There cannot be an arrest warrant issued for someone while at the same time a court date is set. The legal system does not work that way in the US, and I’m sure it also does not work that way in Liberia. “
“This is a calculated propaganda sponsored by political actors to diminish the gigantic political strength exhibited by Amb. Weah at his just ended declaration on Thursday. Noticed how the story is being released immediately after his declaration. Stay tuned, as we will be bringing the full story behind this latest development.”
“We will be exposing how this blackmailer is trying to use an innocent child to enrich herself in the name of child support and child abandonment. During the course of the week, we will be bringing a full narrative on this issue and profiling the mistress behind these stories.”
Mr. Mannah’s post was later taken down from his page, according to sources, upon the advice of senior members of the party.
Several court documents now in the possession of FrontPageAfrica suggest that the Montserrado County Senator failed to show up for court and address the issue prompting the judge to come down with a temporary ruling.
In an earlier communication dated February 25, 2016, lawyers for Mr. Weah suggested that their client could only pay one hundred sixty-two dollars (US$162.00) toward the care of his 10-year-old child.
The communication reads:
Re: Child Support for Minor Child
Please Find enclosed a check in the amount of one hundred sixty-two dollars (US$162.00) authorized by my client for the needs of the minor child.
If your client prefers, my client can continue to send these payments through your office. If not please verify that your clients’ address is: (Address has been crossed out to protect privacy)
Sincerely
Laureen J. Mullins
CC: George Weah
FrontPageAfrica has still been unable to determine the exact salary for Senators but three senators who said they could only speak on condition of anonymity told FrontPageAfrica that their cash take home pay after taxes is a little less than thirteen thousand United States dollars (US$13,000).
Weah who was reportedly worth around US$85 million at the height of his playing career, had his last big career payday following his move from A.C. Milan to Manchester City, in August 2000 on a free transfer on a two-year contract worth £30,000 a week, after reportedly declining the offer of a £1 million pay-off from Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi.
His net worth today is unknown although some estimates put his approximate net worth around US$1.95 million. On his assets declaration form filled ahead of the 2005 elections, Mr. Weah indicated that most of his wealth was in the US with barely anything in Liberia.
One legal expert told FrontPageAfrica that verification could take 90 days but Judge Benton was said to be visibly upset over the behaviour of Senator Weah for what has been considered Mr. Weah’s mockery intent to pay US$160 and his outright refusal to show up in court, leaving the court no alternative but to dismiss the temporary amount of US$160. The Senator through his lawyers reportedly only told the court the Liberian dollar portion of his salary.
FrontPageAfrica reported Monday that the Newton County Sheriff’s Office had put out a Warrant Outstanding Report out on Mr. Weah, who is the political leader of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
A court date has been set for Wednesday, May 11, 2016 during which Mr. Weah, according to sources, is expected to challenge the warrant through his lawyers. It is unclear whether the Senator will make the trip to the U.S. or have his lawyers handled the delicate legal matter from afar.
According to court documents in possession of FrontPageAfrica, on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, the Newton County Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Senator Weah for child abandonment.
The petition was filed by his 10-year-old daughter’s mother, Meapeh Gono Glay. Under Georgia law, child abandonment is automatically treated as a felony if the non-custodial parent, which would be Senator Weah in this case; is out of state. And if found guilty, Senator Weah could face up to 12 months in prison.
FrontPageAfrica has learned that on March 2, 2016, Mr. Weah reportedly should have received the warrant but reportedly hired a lawyer to take in a check of US$160 claiming that he only makes US$1,090 (one thousand ninety dollars) as senator in Liberia and that he has two other minor kids born in 2000 and 2012 and can only afford to pay $US160.
Under the state of Georgia law, a child is considered abandoned or neglected if the child’s basic needs are not met for a period of 30 days or longer.
“This means leaving the child without sufficient nourishment, shelter or clothing. It doesn’t necessarily mean that a parent or guardian left the child naked and hungry on a street corner, but rather he failed to take any steps to ensure her basic needs are met.”
The law also states that: “If any father or mother wilfully and voluntarily abandons his or her child, either legitimate or born out of wedlock, leaving it in a dependent condition, and leaves this state or if any father or mother wilfully and voluntarily abandons his or her child, either legitimate or born out of wedlock, leaving it in a dependent condition, after leaving this state, he or she shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than three years.
The felony shall be reducible to a misdemeanour. Any person, upon conviction of the third offense for violating this Code section, shall be guilty of a felony and shall be imprisoned for not less than one nor more than three years, which felony shall not be reducible to a misdemeanour. The husband and wife shall be competent witnesses in such cases to testify for or against the other.”
Senator Weah, 49, last week announced that he would be embarking on a second quest for the Liberian presidency, telling a crowd of under ten thousand at the party’s headquarters:
‘Having heard the cry of our people and seen their plight, I… declare before you my countrymen and the Almighty God that I shall contest the presidency of our beloved country in the 2017 national elections,’ Weah, 49, said.
Weah was a household name during a career in Europe spanning nearly a decade and a half, making his mark at A.S. Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and Marseilles in France, AC Milan in Italy and English sides Manchester City and Chelsea.
Widely considered one of the best players ever to emerge from Africa and in 1995 won European football’s Ballon d’Or and was named FIFA’s World Player of the Year, becoming the first African to win the awards.
Mr. Weah contested the 2005 Presidential race, losing a run-off election to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. In 2011, he ran for vice-President on the losing ticket of Winston Tubman. In 2014, Mr. Weah won a seat in the Senate in 2014, defeating President Sirleaf’s son, Robert, at the polls.
Mr. Weah has vowed to make fixing the education system, building new clinics and hospitals, reviving agriculture, and combating youth unemployment among his major priorities.
‘Over the past 10 years we have seen that the majority of our people continue to live in abject poverty,’ he said on Thursday.
‘We remain open to political collaboration and we call on other political parties to join us in realizing this vision. The work begins now.”
Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]