MONROVIA – The Office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Fonati Koffa, has termed as “unsubstantiated and a spewed lie” utterances made by Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, accusing the Grand Kru County lawmaker of being present at the Samuel K. Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville, outside Monrovia during the National County Sports Meet (NCSM) finals just a day after being humiliated and assaulted along with his security guards.
It can be recalled that on Sunday, January 31, Sen. Dillon and his security guards were humiliated and assaulted while attempting to enter the stadium via the VIP entrance.
Separate videos of the humiliation and assault went viral on the social media minutes to the commencement of the county meet final match between Lofa and Montserrado Counties.
In the videos, an EPS senior officer, wearing a blue shirt was seen violently hauling the uniform of one of Sen. Dillon’s security guards to leave the VIP entrance for unknown reasons.
He also extended punches and knocked a handset on the head of the victim, who did not retaliate as Sen. Dillon stood peacefully and looked in astonishment.
Appearing as guest on 50-50 talk show on Sky FM107.1 on Monday, February 1, Sen. Dillon claimed that though other public officials, including Deputy Speaker Fonati Koffa, Foreign Affairs Minister Dee. Maxwell Kemayah and several others were permitted to enter the field along with their bodyguards; he was allegedly prevented from entering the stadium with his securities.
But reacting to the allegation in a statement issued on Tuesday under the signature of the Press Attache in the office of the Deputy Speaker, Leroy Sonpon, the office described as a total fabrication the allegation that the Deputy Speaker was among senior government officials who entered the VIP wing with security and Senator Dillon and his bodyguards were denied.
Sonpon indicated that the Montserrado County Senator’s assertion is an “injurious falsehood” and the Deputy Speaker’s Office believes that “the lie was uttered with malice, because the Deputy Speaker never attended Sunday games”.
He clarified that Deputy Speaker Koffa was occupied on consultations with traditional leaders in the county ahead of the President’s visit in Grand Kru County.
This, he pointed out, prevented the Deputy Speaker from being in attendance during the final match of the National County Sports Meet between Lofa and Montserrado Counties.
Mr. Sonpon, however, admonished Sen. Dillon to desist from publicizing any false information about the Deputy Speaker.
He further encouraged the Liberty Party lawmaker to thoroughly investigate before disseminating unchecked information.