Local Voices Liberia and OK FM on Thursday, August 17 signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance collaboration in fact checking and verification as Liberia prepares for the legislative and presidential elections.

The collaboration seeks to expand the culture of fact checking by the production of a special radio segment on Okay FM’s two major prime time radio programs – the Oaky Morning Rush and the Okay Conversation.

As part of the MOU, Local Voices Liberia will also conduct live fact checking, and verification of statements/claims made by radio guests during the Okay Morning Rush and Okay Conversation and conduct in-house fact checking training/tips for Okay Fm reporters to enhance their fact checking skills.

For its part, Okay FM will air all fact check segments produced by Local Voices Liberia during the two major shows.

Signing on behalf of his institution, Alpha Daffae Senkpeni, Executive Director of Local Voices Liberia, expressed joy over the forging of the partnership which he said will help limit the spread of disinformation before, during and after the October 10 elections.

Senkpeni noted that the partnership will boost the fight against disinformation and avert the use of disinformation to spark election violence.

“When we provide these fact-check reports, this will help to curb the spread of disinformation because we know disinformation is always frequent during elections and we know that disinformation can lead to election violence,” he said.

“We know that if we provide accurate information or verified information to the public it will help inform the public about basic public discussions and inform their decisions. That’s why fact checking is important, and this partnership will help debunk disinformation and provide accurate information for the public”.

Senkpeni also lauded the support of LVL international partners that are providing funding for the fact checking desk. He stressed the support of the USAID Media Activity which is being implemented by Internews and the UNDP for its support through the Liberia Electoral Support Program (LESP) under the iVerify System.

Also speaking at the signing ceremony was OK FM Manager, Clarence Jackson, who later signed on behalf of the station, said the partnership will provide an opportunity for the verification of statements during live interviews and help people make informed decisions, adding that fact checking will keep purveyors of disinformation in check.

“We see this as a privilege because for us truth telling is fundamental and that’s the reason why these kinds of partnerships are important as our country is going to elections. There are lots of propogandists spilling lots of disinformation over the place. So, this will ensure that when someone comes on the radio, they will be aware that people are watching them and then they will be careful with what they say, “said Mr. Jackson.

“It is important to ensure a non-violent election and lot of people do not know that disinformation can result to violence because when you say things that are not true, when you give wrong statistics, sometimes the interpretation will be different.”

He called on other media institutions to engage LVL and other fact checking organizations for partnership that seeks to minimize the spread of misinformation and disinformation especially as Liberia goes to election.

Witnessing the signing was the Acting President of the Press Union of Liberia, Daniel Nyakonah who described the MOU as a “good initiative” that will help enhance the quality of journalism for the good of the public including averting elections violence that may be caused by disinformation.

Local Voices Liberia is a network of Liberian journalists established in 2015. The network came to being to counter the spread of dis/misinformation during the Ebola pandemic and encourage responsible health journalism. Since then, LVL is engaged with training reporters and development reporting (health and human rights, etc.) and independent fact checking. LVL Fact Checking Desk counters and debunks dis/misinformation and hate speech and expand the culture of fact checking through media literacy.

Monrovia – The lawyer of Mr. Menipakei Dumoe, the acting leader of the Council of Patriots (COP), Cllr. Findley Karngar, has stated that his confidence in the Liberia National Police (LNP) has been betrayed. Cllr. Karngar stated that the police and lawyers have a special bond of speaking very clear to the other person when it comes to the arrest or call-in of their client(s) by the police.

“The police had the intention to have had my client arrested and they lied that we were only going for a conference. This was wrong, the police knows. I had told my client not to be afraid because I was told that they had only invited my client for a conference. So he didn’t only eat but really didn’t tell his family,” said Cllr. Karngar.

The COP’s lawyer even though stated that though he is going to continue to represent his client; he, however, insinuated that his client’s confidence in him (Karngar) might not be as usual as he might be seen an accomplice in his arrest.

Speaking to Okay FM’s Julius Jeh Tuesday, May 12, he disclosed that he is considering filing legal action against the police.

The police had the intention to have had my client arrested and they lied that we were only going for a conference. This was wrong, the police knows. I had told my client not to be afraid because I was told that they had only invited my client for a conference. So he didn’t only eat but really didn’t tell his family

Cllr. Findley Karngar

Cllr. Karngar backed Dumoe for speaking metaphorically when he asked for AK 47 to be placed in the hands of poor Liberians so that their leaders can take them seriously.

Asked would he had advised his client to choose different dictions before posting his comment to social media, he answered that his client’s feeling at the time brought out the choice of words he used.

“At this point we are telling the police that all his rights need to be accorded him. He should be accorded the decency; he is a political activist,” he stated.

Mr. Dumoe is the acting leader of the COP, inarguably the leading and most vibrant pressure group on the Liberian government of President George Manneh Weah.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Dumoe’s home had been searched by officers of the LNP.

According to the local Okay FM reporter, who was on the scene at Dumoe’s home when the search and seizure was taking place, said the court sheriff, effecting this court order, had insisted that the FrontPageAfrica’s Editor, Lennart Dodoo, should continue his live coverage of the incident since infact he had began covering the process from the beginning. But the police refused and told Mr. Dodoo to stop and few minutes later, came back and seized his phone.

Also speaking via mobile phone to Jeh, Rep Yekeh Kolubah, a critic of the regime, said everyone fought hard to bring this nation to this peace that it enjoys presently.

“This government has something bad under its sleeves during this time of the State of Emergency,” he stated.

The Montsereado County lawmaker categorically stated that Judge Jomah Jallah of Monrovia City Court was placed in the position as a political judge.

Rep. Kolubah, who is a known critic of regime, also accused the police of being a “partisan police force.” He insisted that even if he is tied to a pickup and dragged, he will remain critical against the government.

This government has something bad under its sleeves during this time of the State of Emergency

Montserrado County District #10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah

Another, lawmaker, Rep. Samuel Kogar of Nimba County, too, said the police didn’t do well. “The police had cajoled Mr. Dumoe’s lawyer to bringing his client where they arrested him.” According to Rep. Kogar this was wrong on the part of the police.

He also spoke unkindly of the police’s handling of them confiscating the FPA Editor’s phone while he was performing his journalistic duties. Rep. Kogar described their action as “uncivilized.”

Also, Mr. Mo Ali, a senior member of the COP, stated that Dumoe had informed him and others the day before that the police had invited him for a conference.

According to Ali, the police didn’t find anything incriminating when they searched Dumoe’s home.

“Based on the history of Menipakei Dumoe, he hasn’t been involved into any form of violence or have the capacity to carry out any threat against anyone.

“The government has got the right to do what they want to do, but they should respect his rights. They should charge and send him to court,” Ali told Jeh and those listening in radio land.

A friend of Dumoe, Jacob Jallah, who said he had been following from the beginning of the day, stated, “The police absolutely exhibited undemocratic behavior today. The police must be very clear when communicating. Everything the police did was shady.”

Based on the history of Menipakei Dumoe, he hasn’t been involved into any form of violence or have the capacity to carry out any threat against anyone.

Mo Ali, senior official of the Council of Patriots

According to him, Police 102 Melvin Sackor, even seized his phone on grounds that he Jallah was probably taking pictures of police carrying out their operations.

Addressing journalists later, Police Spokesman Moses Carter formally informed everyone that Menipakei Dumoe has been arrested and is in the custody of the police.

He and Deputy Information Minister Eugene Fahngon further stated that the police had confiscated some interesting items from the home of Dumoe.

He added: “This is an active and ongoing investigation, we are not going speak more on it now.”

He read what, according to him, Dumoe had posted on his Facebook page: “We don’t need free bags of rice. I say we the poor in Monrovia need AK47s so our leaders can take us seriously.”

According to him, what Dumoe wrote borders on national security.

Adding, the Police LNP Spokesman said the government is not running after people for posting their comments on social media but won’t allow comments that “threaten national security.”