Paynesville- Senator Prince Y. Johnson(Nimba County) used his pulpit Sunday to blast members of the House of Representatives for signing a resolution aiming for the establishment of a war and Economic Crimes Court in Liberia.
Senator Johnson told a congregation Sunday at the Christ Chapel Faith Ministry, where he serves as a general overseer that the 50 representatives who signed the resolution received money from abroad to do so. “Our enemies are not far, they right under my foot and for President Weah to send that document to the Legislature has opened my eyes. They signed that document because of money from abroad.”
The former warlord-turned politician however said the decision by his colleagues to push for the establishment of the court will “go nowhere,’ because it only intends to put a stigma on his future political ambition for the presidency.
“Our enemies are not far, they right under my foot and for President Weah to send that document to the Legislature has opened my eyes. They signed that document because of money from abroad.”
Senator Prince Y. Johnson
“The reason there is this call for hasty implementation is to put a stigma on me so that when I am are going for the higher office, they will say this man is a criminal,” Senator Johnson intoned.
According to him, fighting for the redemption of his kinsmen should not be used as a baseline for indicting him as a criminal.
“We are not criminals. On Bushrod Island, I supplied the entire place with electricity, water, food, and people were crossing from Monrovia to coming for safety, and many of those who don’t want to see me were eating my food,” the Senator stressed.
He furthered that there are bigger issues that forbids every Liberians from signing a document to establish a war crimes court and should not be tied around him.
He attributed the lawmaker’s decision to ‘hatred,’ noting that such an instrument will entrap those who are fronting for its establishment.
“Those who pursue me will slip and fall. Because we fought a war to redeem our people does not make us criminals. The document from the TRC is nothing, but a toilet paper and will go nowhere.” Senator Johnson averred.
“There are many Egyptians, the Egyptians Liberians are here, they will always be confused and confounded in their life, in their thoughts and entrap themselves.”
The Nimba County lawmaker informed his congregation that he recently advised President Weah against giving such document credence because it would also entrap the Liberian head of state.
“The reason there is this call for hasty implementation is to put a stigma on me so that when I am are going for the higher office, they will say this man is a criminal,” Senator Johnson intoned.
Senator Prince Y. Johnson
Senator Johnson maintained that What upsets him more is the failure of those representatives to take the issues to their various constituents before coming up with a ‘hasty decision.’
“They forget to know that we are the Senate and we are elders with wisdom; we will make a decision on that document when we come back from break. They fail to consult their people, but what I can say is, that document will not go anywhere,” he bragged.
“Unfortunately, the hatred for PYJ, a former general, a pastor and evangelist of the gospel made 50 of them run and signed that document without consulting their constituents.”
He also stated that the calls for the establishment of a war crimes court in Liberia condemns the TRC and other legal instruments.
“Look at the TRC, it condemns that instrument, look at the Supreme Court ruling, look at the act establishing the TRC, there is nothing to implement,” Johnson cautioned.
He added: “We have gone through the document with national and international lawyers and its nothing but a toilet paper, you run after me, you will slip and fall.”
At the same time, Senator Johnson feared that documents have been falsified to entrap him.
He said: “They just falsify documents and are against me because of the love for my people. You don’t have anything against me.”
“I will never fight a losing battle and if God was not with us, there was going to be no Nimba County, so any child of Nimba who will not pray for peace will fall.”
The Nimba County lawmaker warned his kinsmen that they stand a risk of ‘falling’ if they join others to fight against him by calling for a war and economic crimes court.
“I have three friends, one name is ungrateful, one name is stubbornness and another name is hard to hear. Those who do not want to hear advice will meet disgrace. Any citizens from Nimba who will not pray for peace, but evil against me will fall,” Senator Johnson maintained.
Fifty-one out of 72 members of the House of Representatives have signed a resolution calling for the establishment of war and economic crimes court in Liberia.
The support from the lawmakers comes in less than one week after President George Weah sent a communication to the Legislature seeking the body’s advice on the establishment of both a war and economic crimes courts.
The Representatives backing the establishment of war and economic crimes court also gathered at the site of the Du Port Road Massacre in Paynesville on Thursday, October 3 to officially adopt the resolution.
The resolution, which has been signed by 51 out of 73 representatives, has now set the stage for the passage of a draft bill. The Bill will then be sent to the Liberian Senate for concurrence and then sign by the President, printed into handbill to become a law.
Johnson played a prominent role in the First Liberian Civil War, in particular capturing, torturing, mutilating and executing President Samuel Doe, who had himself overthrown and murdered the previous president William R. Tolbert.
Johnson has been linked to the killings of several prominent Liberians during the civil war including musician Tecumsey Roberts, Michael J. Doe and Madam Watta Allison, wife of former Defense Minister Gray D. Allison among others.