Monrovia – As far back as February 2015, Senator George Manneh Weah was offered a chance to lay his current legal troubles to rest, according to an email communication in possession of FrontPageAfrica.
Given your prominence both as an athlete and in your governmental capacity, I would like to an opportunity to speak with you so that we may possibly settle this matter without court intervention. A Virginia-based attorney, Anneshia Miller Grant representing Ms. Meapeh Gono Glay on February 16, 2015
Supporters of the Senator have in recent days questioned the timing of the publications with some suggesting that the scandal is a politically-motivated effort by the lawmaker’s political foes to dampen his chances for the Liberian presidency in 2017. But the communication, suggests that the child’s mother, Ms. Gono Glay’s attorney’s offered the Senator a way out but he did not take it.
A Virginia-based attorney, Anneshia Miller Grant representing Ms. Meapeh Gono Glay on February 16, 2015 wrote the football legend notifying him that a Child Support case had been filed against him.
The communications titled: Gonoglay v. Weah; URGENT Child Support Matter reads:
Mr. Weah,
I represent the interests of Meapeh Gonoglay. Please be advised that I have filed a child support petition on behalf of Ms. Gonoglay and the minor child, Born 2005, in Fairfax Circuit Court. (see attached)
Given your prominence both as an athlete and in your governmental capacity, I would like to an opportunity to speak with you so that we may possibly settle this matter without court intervention.
Please feel free to reach out to me via email or telephone numbers provided below. I certainly look forward to speaking with you.
Thank you,
Anneshia Miller Grant, Attorney
Livesay & Myers, P.C.
3975 University Drive, Suite 325
Fairfax, Virginia 22030
http://www.livesaymyers.com
The law firm, at Livesay & Myers, P.C. located in Fairfax, Manassas, Leesburg and Fredericksburg, is regarded as a highly-rated family law, criminal defense and immigration attorneys represent clients across Northern Virginia.
The firm handles every type of family law matter in Virginia, including contested and uncontested divorce, separation agreements, child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support, and adoption. If you need an experienced family lawyer in Northern Virginia, we can help.
FrontPageAfrica has learned that Weah did not reply the lawyers but his baby’s mother, Meapeh Gono Glay says she received a letter from Mr. Weah’s lawyers, two months later, requesting a DNA.
“Probability of Paternity” – 99.99999 Percent
The DNA was conducted on April 6, 2015, putting Senator Weah’s “Probability of Paternity” at 99.99999 percent as the father of the child, now 10-years-old.
When the mother moved from the state of Virginia to the state of Georgia, lawyers in the new jurisdiction also reportedly reached out to Senator Weah but to no avail.
The Newton County Court in the U.S. State of George on April 18, 2016 issued a warrant for the arrest of 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 Mr. Weah in this case, is out of state. And, if found guilty, Mr. Weah could face up to 12 months in prison.
Prior to the warrant being filed, Mr. Weah hired a lawyer to take in a check of one hundred and sixty U.S. dollars claiming that he only makes one thousand ninety U.S. dollars as Senator in Liberia and that he has two other minor kids born in 2000 and 2012 and therefore could only afford to pay $US160.
The case has also been complicated after the state of New York was drawn in the picture. Both Senator Weah and the child’s mother have been asked to submit a sworn income affidavit to determine honest payment of support in the ongoing saga involving a child abandonment case of his 10-year-old child.
According to the communication, the State of Georgia has requested the state of New York through the City Court of New York Law Department Family Division to investigate the finances of Mr. Weah further and effect support and also have him repay arrears for any income based social services the child may have received.
To do that, the family court is requesting sworn affidavit of income, assets declaration, tax document from both parties. The hearing, according to the communication, has been set for June 28. Senator Weah is listed as a resident of Rose Dale, New York.
Sources have informed FrontPageAfrica that the Senator’s camp appears divided over how to proceed with some suggesting that Senator Weah reach out to the mother in hopes of resolving the matter.
Waiver Option Risky
One option on the table, according to a legal expert is for the mother to withdraw the case through a waiver but an agreement will have to be signed by both parties and a witnessed by the court where the football legend will be compelled to obey. However, a source closed to the mother told FrontPageAfrica Saturday that she may be reluctant after the rain of insults members of Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change rained on her last week.
“She is resolved to see this through,” said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. “If the DNA test had said 0.00000 they (CDC) would have not shown her mercy, so why should she.”
Under Georgia law, child support is a right that belongs to the minor child or children involved in the matter. Thus, child support cannot be legally waived by the custodial parent on behalf of the minor child or children. B
isher v. Jones, 267 Ga. App. 389 (2004). However, although a parent may not waive the right to child support, the parent obligated to pay child support may agree to waive the right to seek a downward modification, or reduction, in the amount of child support to be paid to the custodial parent. Forrester v. Buerger, 241 Ga. 34 (1978).
In order to effectively waive the right to seek a future downward modification in his or her child support obligation, the law states that a non-custodial parent must expressly waive this right “in very clear waiver language which refers to the right of modification.”
Legal experts say the agreement signed by the obligated parent, in whom he or she agrees to waive the right to seek a future downward modification of child support, must clearly state the intent of the obligated party to waive this right.
“Even though Georgia law does not require any special or “magic” words to be placed in the agreement to affect this waiver, the provision must be clear and unambiguous.
But waivers are complicated and could be risky if not done properly. Inadequate representation by a qualified Georgia attorney who specializes in child support and alimony can cause a party to waive right to seek a future modification of child support should one be necessary.
Last week, the Chairman of CDC-USA Mr. Isaac Vah Tukpah appealed to partisans who had been assaulting Ms. Gono Glay to desist. The party also announced that it would delete insults rained on the mother from the party’s Facebook page.
Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]