Monrovia – A controversial Facebook post on which Mr. Tarplah Z. Davis, President George Manneh Weah’s nominee for the position of Deputy Defense Minister for Operations, threatened to “kill” would-be protesters of the ‘Weah Step Down Campaign’ and critics of the President, has come back to haunt the nominee with Senators taking keen interest in the threats made on the post which went viral when it was released last year.
Appearing before the Senate Defense and Intelligence Committee Wednesday, Mr. Davis lied under oath as he sought to distance himself from the Facebook Live post.
“We know that Post Traumatic disorder is the condition many former military personnel experience. I sat here as a medical doctor reading your mind and I think you have a problem with anger management. Because the way you speak is like you are still giving order to the military. You showed no remorse to what you said and you are justifying reasons for saying what you said and I am very disappointed.”
– Senator Peter Coleman
Facebook Live Threat
In the live video session, Mr. Davis promised to defend the government of President Weah, his family and others with plans intended to thwart or go against the Liberian Constitution.
Said Mr. Davis: “The symbol of everything that I have worked for personally is in Liberia. And I told people, anybody tries my property, I will kill them. I have said it and will continue to say it openly,” he stated.
The nominee added: “I, Zoely Zoe or Tarplah Z. Davies, will never ever sit down in this America when Henry Costa and his likes who are thinking about covertly overthrowing the Government of Liberia and thinking about looting the resources of our country. When they carry out their wicked plan, I will not sit in this America and witness my country in chaos. I will defend my properties, I will defend my government and people, I will defend my family and do everything possible to ensure that those people who have their devilish intention of trying to subvert the Constitution, their plans are reverted and the Constitution will take over. I will never even accept any undemocratic removal of President George Manneh Weah. If it causes me to risk my life, I will do so.”
On Wednesday, the nominee, in a non-apologetic posture, averred: “Honorable Senators I have a history of being involved in student politics. My first protest was the LUSU protest. Why would I as a former student leader, say, I will harm people who want to protest. I cherish the rights given to people by the constitution so I am not associated with that people may have their own personal reasons why they disseminated such information about of that nature.”
Mr. Davis challenged anyone having proof of his threats to make it public. “If they have any anything on me that I stated such thing let them prove it. Nobody can say it. I believe that our people free to exercise their rights as provided in the constitution. On my Facebook page I stated that I am not a killer I have never killed anyone.”
According to the nominee, what he said was that, everything he worked for is in Liberia and people calling for the looting of his property and it was unacceptable and it was unacceptable for anyone to instruct another to loot his property and that anything attributed to him is not true. “There is no Facebook post out there that stated that I will kill protesters. I know what our country has gone through it is unacceptable for a single Liberian to call for the destruction of our properties, that is unacceptable so I am not a killer.”
‘I Regret’: Confession to ‘Kill’ Threat
“To be honest with you, I would think that you will do this country a favor by getting out of that thing. Don’t put us through the embarrassment of rejecting you because what I have read from you and what you have indicated is that you are not suitable for the position.”
– Senator Conmany Wesseh
After several comments, concerns and questions from Senators, the Deputy Defense Minister nominee came to terms with himself and apologized, stating that killing people or protesters is and was never his intent. “I regret my action I am not a killer and I have never killed before. It is not my intent and I don’t intend to do that.”
Senator Conmany Wesseh (River Gee County), a member of the committee expressed disappointment in the “Solider attempt to Lie” under oath.
The Senator said, a good solider would have apologized quickly after realizing he had gone wrong.
“You are a qualified young man academically, but what is worrying is what you said in the video and it is not a matter that only affects Liberians, but all those who have work to help bring peace to this country. If I were you, I will answer the questions posed to you. You have said you are not a killer but the things you said are things killers say before they kill. We follow things said and done by former soldiers in the US involved in killing they do them because of their experience.”
Senator Wesseh said Mr. Davis’s comments struck fear. “You scare us and because you scare us too much you really need to go for DE traumatization first. You really need that and you would have saved yourself the embarrassment, if you had told President Weah that you are not ready for this position.”
In more disappointing tone, Senator Wesseh said to the nominee: “To be honest with you, I would think that you will do this country a favor by getting out of that thing. Don’t put us through the embarrassment of rejecting you because what I have read from you and what you have indicated is that you are not suitable for the position.”
“You are a qualified young man academically, but what is worrying is what you said in the video and it is not a matter that only affects Liberians, but all those who have work to help bring peace to this country. If I were you, I will answer the questions posed to you. You have said you are not a killer but the things you said are things killers say before they kill. We follow things said and done by former soldiers in the US involved in killing they do them because of their experience.”
– Senator Conmany Wesseh
For his Part, Senator Peter Coleman(Grand Kru), a Doctor by profession said he expected that the nominee, especially after taking a delay in his confirmation, would have had time to get over his anger that led him to post that video. “We know that Post Traumatic disorder is the condition many former military personnel experienced. I sat here as a medical doctor reading your mind and I think you have a problem with anger management. Because the way you speak is like you are still giving order to the military. You showed no remorse to what you said and you are justifying reasons for saying what you said and I am very disappointed.”
The nominee also faced issues relating to a domestic violent arrest on March 19, 2012 but FrontPageAfrica, after making inquiries was informed by the Montgomery County TN Circuit Court Clerk of Court Office that the case with warrant number – – 112009403 – under arresting officer, Donovan Newlove, was dismissed in August 2012.