Monrovia – The ruling Unity Party has denied allegations that it is connected to a death threat allegedly sent to House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa.

By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, gerald.koinyeneh@frontpageafricaonline.com

Late Sunday, the Office of House Speaker Koffa reported a death threat allegedly sent to the Speaker via an unknown number, warning him to resign or face fatal consequences.

The threatening statement read: “Koffa, the Speaker job is for the UP. Our party won’t sit there and reward its enemies. We will kill you if we have to. Hint to the wise is sufficient. Resign now!!!”

The Unity Party, in a statement issued on Monday, said it unequivocally condemns any form of threat or violence against any individual, especially against a public official.

“As a party rooted in the principles of peace and reconciliation, we firmly state that the Unity Party, under the leadership of H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., would never resort to threatening the life of any Liberian. These allegations are baseless and lack merit,” the party said.

It added: “To the Liberian people and the international community, let it be made clear: the Unity Party is committed to fostering a peaceful, inclusive, and democratic Liberia. Any suggestion otherwise is an attempt to undermine our credibility and commitment to national unity.”

The party recalled that on October 18 of this year, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., had the distinct honor of meeting His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican Apostolic Palace. The delegation for this historic meeting included Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa. The party noted that this event underscores its commitment to unity and collaboration, even across political divides.

“We urge all Liberians to remain steadfast in rejecting divisive narratives and to continue working toward a peaceful and prosperous Liberia.”

Meanwhile, the alleged threat against Speaker Koffa has sparked widespread concern amid growing political tensions at the Liberian Legislature.

Monrovia – A prominent supporter of the Unity Party (UP), Richlue O. Burphy, has publicly urged President Joseph Boakai to take decisive action against underperforming officials in his administration.

Burphy, often referred to as the “Rescue Mission General,” voiced serious concerns about the poor performance of several government officials within the first nine months of the Unity Party-led government.

He stated, “It’s shocking that after 9 or 10 months, our president hasn’t realized that many of the people he has appointed are either slacking or treating their roles like a honeymoon. I’m left wondering—is this the leader I wholeheartedly supported? What happened to all the promises he made before the election?”

Burphy’s call for accountability comes in the wake of a recent incident involving Public Works Minister Roland Giddings, who was absent from the commissioning of a $15 million bridge project between Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire.

The bridge, funded by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), connects Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire via the Cavalla River. The ceremony, held at the Plulo Border in Côte d’Ivoire, was attended by ECOWAS officials and representatives from the Ivorian government, but no Liberian officials were present.

Burphy, who led the “Boakai Conscious Movement” during the 2023 presidential campaign, criticized Minister Giddings and other Public Works officials for missing such a significant event.

When contacted, Public Works’ Communications Manager, Benjamin Myers stated that he would make inquiries and provide a response.

In recent weeks, Minister Giddings and Deputy Minister Tambah have faced increasing criticism over their ongoing infighting, which has reportedly hampered the Ministry’s operations. Last week, FrontPage Africa learned that the two were involved in a physical altercation, prompting calls for their dismissal. However, the Ministry has denied that any such incident took place.

MONROVIA — The former standard bearer of the Liberian People’s Party (LPP) and his party have taken a swipe at Joseph Boakai, accusing the Liberian president of violating Liberia’s Public Financial Management (PFM) Law of 2009, when he reportedly requested and received $80K from the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) to purchase vehicles while former President George Weah was still the President of the Republic of Liberia.

By Selma Lomax, selma.lomax@frontpageafricaonline.com and Willie Tokpah, willie.tokpah@frontpageafricaonline.com

Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe said the Boakai-led Unity Party also violated the PFM law by concealing the source of the funds for purchase of 285 yellow machines.

The Honorable Mamaka Bility, Minister of State without Portfolio and Special Envoy of President Boakai, during the May 24, 2024 Cabinet Retreat announced that Liberia had acquired the machines.

Since the May 24 announcement by Minister Bility, the government has remained coy on the source of the equipment, raising questions from Liberians whether the machines are part of gifts or loans given to President Boakai in exchange for any of Liberia’s natural resources, including the Wologisi Mountain.

“The Boakai administration reported within the national budget only $45M as money to be borrowed in 2024, instead of disclosing the actual amount of $296M.

Gongloe: Boakai Repeating Weah’s ‘mistakes’

Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe, renowned Liberian lawyer and human rights activist, ran on the ticket of the LPP in the 2023 legislative and presidential elections. Dubbed the broom man, he and his vice-presidential candidate were always seen with locally-made brooms as a symbol of their commitment to “sweep corruption” out of Liberia.

In the first round of the election, Gongloe did not get enough votes to be qualified for the runoff. It eventually ended between then President George Weah and Joseph Nyuma Boakai. Gongloe and his party threw their support behind Boakai, citing Boakai’s experience and commitment to fight corruption as the reasons. Following the election, Gongloe’s vice presidential candidate Dr. Emmanuel Urey Yarkawolo accepted Boakai’s offer to serve as executive director of the Environmental Protection Agency. Gongloe said while he still supports President Boakai, he will publicly speak against the government’s missteps just as he will commend it when it delivers.

Addressing the Center for the Exchange of Intellectual Opinion on Wednesday, Gongloe noted that if the Boakai administration was serious about the fight against corruption, it wouldn’t have been partial and continued to repeat past mistakes of breaching the law establishing tenure positions. 

Gongloe termed it as ludicrous for the current Unity Party under Boakai to keep breaching the law establishing tenure positions which they created during their previous regime, and also criticized the Weah administration for violating it. 

“The Unity Party is breaching the tenure position statute, which it created during its previous regime, and criticized the Weah administration for violating it,” Cllr. Gongloe said. “We see this attitude as a total mockery of the fight against corruption.”

Gongloe said the mandate given to the Asset Recovery Team, as an ad-hoc body, undermines the functions of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).

He proposed that setting up an asset recovery should be done legally as a department under the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, instead of being a separate ad-hoc body.

This decision, he said, is crucial, because the mandate given to the Asset Recovery Team as an ad-hoc body, undermines the authority of the LACC.

Therefore, he sees it rational that a legislative reform be made in the law establishing the LACC to ensure that officials appointed to public positions are compelled to declare their assets before taking office. 

“There are people in government who have already served for five months without declaring assets and there is no assurance that some of the assets declared are government assets they are controlling,” Cllr. Gongloe stressed. 

Cllr. Gongloe said he’s irritated that a government he was the first to declare support for during the presidential run-off election will begin to ignore its commitment made to the fight against corruption, by intending to violate anti-corruption laws.   

He said this attribute is a typical behavior of West African politicians who get to power on promises fighting corruption, but revert to making excuses at the end.

These excuses, according to him, are at the detriment of the majority of their citizens, while families of politicians in power live better lives, receive advanced medical treatments and their children benefit from quality education, leaving the majority to live substandard lives.  

Gongloe is at the same time uncomfortable about why West Africa continues to have drawbacks with economic growth due to corruption when other nations are speedily progressing. 

 He said: “At one time in West Africa, there were Air Africa, Nigeria Airwave, and Ghana Airwave, but all of these collapsed due to corruption. Today, we rely on Airlines from East Africa and North Africa. With this kind of situation, tourists would not develop West Africa and Investors would feel reluctant to come.”

Launching a new ‘Liberation War’

Gongloe announced that he was launching a “Liberia War” on corruption, which he said is the main impediment to sustained peace, economic development, and political stability. 

“Our war against colonization is over and the struggle for democracy has reached a point that we can hold sections”, but he however noted that it is unfortunate that most of these election results are in favor of the corrupt politicians. 

Similarly, Gongloe frowned at the attitude of politicians in Africa’s continuous failure to be pragmatic in the fight against corruption, which he declared a peril in Africa.

“At the inauguration, most governments in Africa pretend to emphasize fighting corruption as the number one priority under their policy agenda, but the evidence is that their intent is only good during the campaign,” he added.

Instead, they claim that supporters of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), including Vice President Jeremiah Koung and Senator Prince Johnson, are the ones receiving preferential treatment.

Moses Ghicarn, head of the district coordinators for the nine electoral districts and leader of the aggrieved partisans, claimed that they are unhappy with the manner in which they have been treated by the Unity Party-led government.

He accused Vice President Jeremiah Koung of not making time for them and paying less attention to them, focusing instead on the MDR party and Senator Prince Johnson.

Ghicarn lamented that due to such poor leadership treatment, they have vowed to bring their own Unity Party to public disrepute if the leadership does not address the issue.

He referred to the MDR party as “helpers” who came to assist them but are not dependable. “This MDR party of Vice President Jeremiah Koung and Senator Prince Johnson are helpers; they’re not dependable. They can change anytime. We are the main partisans, but we are not favored; rather, those MDR helpers are the ones enjoying our glory,” he added.

Moses Ghicarn explained that due to the poor treatment by leadership, partisans will not allow any local government appointments in the county. Even if appointed, they will not work in the county.

He stated that many business people in Ganta and throughout Nimba County have wasted their resources without receiving any rewards.

Commenting on the new superintendent appointed to replace CDC Superintendent Nelson Korquoi, Madam Kou Gono, the Unity Party leader of the aggrieved partisans, claimed that she is the Vice President’s interest.

Our Nimba County correspondent has learned that 42 Nimba children have been appointed in government positions, but Nimbaeans are still complaining about not being favored in government appointments.

Senator Prince Johnson, along with several Nimbaeans, has been complaining about locals not being appointed in government positions. They have voiced their concerns on various local radio stations in the six cities in the county.

The aggrieved Unity partisans claimed that many of them have gone out of business due to the funding they spent during the campaign activities, but they are not feeling any impact.

Meanwhile, Nimba Chiefs and elders have threatened to join the fight to prevent anyone who is not from the district from getting appointed positions in the county.

Monrovia – The Unity Party (UP) has submitted a petition for a declaratory judgment to the Civil Law Court challenging the eligibility of the newly elected Speaker, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, to hold his position. The party contends that Cllr. Koffa is ineligible due to claims that he holds U.S. citizenship.

By Lennart Dodoo, ldodoo@frontpageafricaonline.com

The petition, filed by the Unity Party through its National Chairman, Rev. J. Luther Tarpeh, and National Secretary-General Amos Tweh, asserts that Cllr. Koffa’s election as the Representative of Electoral District #2 of Grand Kru County should be nullified based on his alleged failure to comply with Article 4 Section 1 of the Act To Amend And/Or Nullify Certain Provisions of The Aliens and Nationality Law Relating To Citizenship.

According to the Unity Party, Cllr. Koffa allegedly misrepresented his citizenship status during the October 10, 2023, General and Presidential elections. The Unity Party claims that Cllr. Koffa failed to renounce his alleged United States citizenship at least one year before applying to the National Elections Commission, as required by law.

The Unity Party’s legal team pleaded with the court through their petition that Cllr. Koffa’s certification should be nullified, and he should subsequently be disqualified as a member of the 55th Legislature.

At the same time, FrontPageAfrica has gathered that the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) would be filing a similar petition against Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, who was also elected President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate on Monday, on claims that she also holds U.S. citizenship.

However, the issue of contesting dual citizenship remains a controversy in Liberia. Legal pundits believe the respondents in the petition filed by the Unity Party – the National Elections Commission and Cllr. Koffa – are likely to file a motion to dismiss on grounds that the petitioner, not being the Attorney General, lacks the legal standing, and the Civil Law Court, as per the Dual Citizenship Act, lacks jurisdiction over the subject matter.

The Alien and Nationality Law of 1973 stipulates that the Attorney General is charged with the duty of administering the provisions of all laws relating to immigration and naturalization and shall have full power to accomplish effectively its aims and objectives, except that the Secretary of State [Foreign Minister] shall be charged with the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this title relating to the powers, duties, and functions of diplomatic and consular officers, and shall perform such other duties as are expressly assigned to him by this title.

In 2019, the Liberian Supreme Court ruled that the statutory provision for automatic loss of Liberian citizenship in case of acquisition of another citizenship was unconstitutional.

“…Section 22.2 of the Aliens and Nationality Law, to the extent that it provides for the loss of citizenship solely on account of the performance by a citizen of acts or fulfillment of the conditions specified in Section 22.1 without the institution by the Government of any proceedings to nullify or cancel citizenship in violation of the due process clause under Article 209(a) of the 1986 Constitution, is hereby null and void without any force and effect of law,” the Supreme Court ruled in the Teage Jalloh Vs. The Government of Liberia in September 2019 when he challenged the Liberian Embassy in Washington for denying him a Liberian passport.

MONROVIA – President-elect Joseph Boakai would not be available for his certification for winning the November 14 run-off election due to his travel to the United States and his party has therefore, requested the National Elections Commission to postpone to a later date to be decided.

By Lennart Dodoo, ldodoo@frontpageafricaonline.com

The party disclosed this in statement released on Thursday in which it stated that it has already communicated with the National Elections Commission.

The Unity Party: “Unity Party has officially informed the National Elections Commission (NEC) that due to the visit of the President-elect to the United States of America, the issuance of certificate for the winner of the November 14, 2023 Presidential election, planned for Friday, December 8, 2023, should be postponed until the return of President-elect Joseph Nyuma Boakai. The Party will work with NEC to schedule a new date for the issuance of the certificate for the President and Vice president-elect.

The public will be informed when the new date is set.”

The certification should have happened today, December 8 as scheduled by the NEC and communicated to the winners of the October 10 election and the November 14 runoff election.

The President-elect left Liberia on December 1 for the United States. According to the Unity Party, while in the United States he would be holding consultations with stakeholders in the political process including the Unity Party in the United States and Canada to thank them for their support given him during the elections. He is also expected to visit family members in the States, the Party disclosed.

The Party’s request for a postponement has sparked inquiries into the rationale behind the President-elect’s decision to prioritize a visit to family members in the United States over attending the certification.

FrontPageAfrica gathered that Vice President-elect Jeremiah Koung is presently in Accra and has reportedly postponed his return home due to the impossibility of receiving certification in the absence of the President-elect.

The 79-year-old’s travel to the United States came amid lingering concerns of his health and a reported surgery for the replacement for his pacemaker.

In June this year, Henry Costa, a former close ally of Boakai alleged that he (Boakai) needed a surgery within six month or risked suffering a massive stroke or a heart attack. But Boakai and the Unity Party dismissed the report.

Ambassador Boakai’s health has consistently been a topic of controversy in discussions about his presidential aspirations. He has consistently asserted that he is in excellent health and fully capable of participating in the election and governing the country.

During the peak of the election campaign, Costa alleged that Boakai rejected expert medical advice recommending a triple bypass open-heart surgery. Costa claimed that intelligence suggested Boakai believed he wouldn’t survive the life-saving procedure due to an alleged plot to assassinate him during the surgery.

Costa, a prominent political talk-show host, revealed that medical examinations from ELWA Hospital and U.S. doctors indicated that Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakai urgently needed a triple bypass open-heart surgery within six months. This procedure aimed to replace a weakened artery in his heart with another from his thigh.

Speaking at the All Liberian Party (ALP) headquarters in Monrovia after breaking away from Boakai, Costa disclosed that doctors from Liberia and the United States had advised the former Vice President. They warned that if he didn’t undergo the surgery within six months, his heart might cease functioning. Additionally, the doctors cautioned against unnecessary stress, which could exacerbate his condition.

Costa emphasized that, given this diagnosis from medical experts, the opposition camp, especially the Unity Party and its affiliates, was alarmed. They decided to keep such information confidential while actively working to address the former Liberian Vice President’s health situation.

However, Boakai  in later interview with James Butty of the VOA, dispelled Costa’s speculation and said despite Costa’s report on his health, he continues to move around.

“Henry Costa might be a doctor of another kind who can determine the health of people. But I am moving around and who should know better about their own health than themselves? Maybe he knows more than the doctor and more than myself, but he still my son.”

PAYNESVILLE – Naymote Partners for Democratic Development has unveiled a report of campaign promises by the Unity Party (UP) it tracked during the 2023 general elections.

By: Gerald C. Koinyeneh – gerald.koinyeneh@frontpageafricaonline.com

The institution documented 93 promises made by President-elect Joseph Boakai, Sr., who secured victory with 50.64%, according to Liberia’s National Elections Commission.

The promises were tracked from the winning party’s manifesto containing six pillars including its campaign rallies, media engagements, and public statements, according to Naymote.

Among the promises tracked, Naymote, through its executive director Eddie Jarwolo said notable commitments include the reform of tax administration policies, targeted fiscal incentives for agriculture and light manufacturing, implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), introduction of a program budgeting system, and the roadmap for the de-dollarization of the Liberian economy. Also tracked include asset declaration of the President and all appointed officials, and the pledged to audit the outgoing government, among others.

“Election promises, forming a social contract between voters and candidates, obligate President-Elect Joseph N. Boakai, Sr. to fulfil the commitments made during the campaign,” said Jarwolo. “Post-inauguration in January 2024, Naymote will commence tracking the government’s performance against these promises for the next six years. The Unity Party developed several action points and strategies to implement the promises.”

 The tracked promises

Under pillar one which seeks to stabilize the economy and enhance infrastructural development, a total of fifty-eight promises were identified and documented. They covered economics, financial management, agriculture, natural resource management, job creation, commerce and industry, infrastructure development, transportation, information communication technology (ICT) and culture and tourism.

Under pillar two which tends to address health, WASH, the environment, and climate change, a total of nine promises were also tracked. Pillar three seeks to develop human capacity Development. In it, seven promises were documented with a primary focus on education.

Seven promises were tracked under pillar four with emphasis on foreign relations, rule of law, accountability, governance and transparency and reconciliation.

Gender, youth, children, and social protection fall under pillar five and it documented eight promises with a focus on gender garnering, social protection and youth empowerment. In the fight against corruption which falls under pillar six, four promises were documented.

Jarwolo announced that Naymote will begin tracking the government’s performance against these promises for the next six years after the inauguration in January 2024.

He called on citizens of Liberia, civil society organizations and the media to actively participate in this initiative; saying, “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that political campaign promises translate into tangible actions that positively impact the lives of the Liberian people.”

For the past six years, Naymote has monitored and tracked President George Weah’s performance in fulfilling the promises he made during and after the 2017 elections. Jarwolo noted that these reports have played a pivotal role in promoting public accountability and facilitating constructive dialogues between citizens and the government. As a testament to their impact, political parties and civil society organizations consistently refer to the President Meter Report as a crucial reference document for assessing the Weah administration’s performance, he noted.

“The institution believes that tracking the campaign promises of presidential candidates and monitoring political parties throughout elections are essential for sustaining the foundations of democracy, ensuring fair competition ideas, and protecting the integrity of electoral processes,” he said.

MONROVIA — Former Vice President Joseph Boakai, 79, appears to be on the verge of being Liberia’s next President after a very close contest with incumbent President George Weah, who came to power through a popular vote in 2017.

Boakai served as Vice President under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for 12 years, amassing over 40 years of experience in the public sector.

The National Elections Commission released the latest results of the November 14 run-off election on Friday evening, revealing a closely contested race between the two candidates. According to the NEC, President Weah obtained 785,778 votes (49.11%), while Ambassador Boakai as secured 814,212 votes (50.89%) resulting in a difference of 28,434 votes (1.78%).

During his campaign, Boakai promised to rescue Liberia from the Weah administration, which he claimed was marred by mismanagement and corruption. He was, however, criticized for selecting Nimba County Senator Jeremiah Koung who was recommended to him by former warlord Prince Y. Johnson, also a Senator of the vote-rich Nimba County. This choice left many of his supporters wondering on his stance for the establishment of war crimes court.

Weah’s administration suffered a significant blow a year before the election with the United States Department of Treasury imposing sanctions on three top officials. They were found liable for corruption and the substantial diversion of government contracts for personal gain. These officials include the former Minister of State, Nathaniel McGill; the former Managing Director of the National Port Authority, Bill Twehway; and the former Solicitor General, Cllr. Sayma Syrennius Cephas.

The Weah administration faced severe criticism for not taking substantial action to investigate these officials, despite numerous calls from citizens and the United States Embassy in Liberia.

Weah’s administration, however, brags of being developmental-driven and focused more on the construction of community infrastructures and roads as part of his government’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).

MONROVIA – The Unity Party (UP) has expressed deep concern and dissatisfaction with a recent press statement from the National Elections Commission (NEC). The NEC has called on its polling staff to reject and discontinue the practice of reading out voters’ names during the polling process, a move deemed by the UP as a direct affront to specific sections of the new elections law.

The Unity Party referenced Sections 5.4 and 5.6 of the new elections law which mandates that voters entering a polling place must state their names to the Voter Identification Officer (VIO). The UP says it believes that this process ensures transparency and allows party agents to verify the accuracy of the voter list provided by the NEC. In a communication to the NEC on October 24, 2023, the UP had informed the Commission of its intention to issue hard copies of the Final Registration Roll (FRR) to poll watchers for further verification.

However, the NEC’s recent decision to discontinue this voter verification process has left the UP questioning the Commission’s motives. The UP contends that, with a three-foot distance, party agents would have ample opportunity to hear the names of voters and cross-reference them with the FRR to ensure accuracy. The abrupt change in procedure has fueled speculation within the UP that certain elements within the NEC may be conspiring to manipulate the electoral process.

The UP has officially rejected the NEC’s directive and is calling on the Commission to uphold the law as promised during a previous meeting with both the Unity Party and the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC). The party perceives the timing of the NEC’s statement, released in the midst of the polling process, as an attempt to disrupt and undermine the credibility and integrity of the runoff election.

The NEC today issued a statement expressing worry about reported incidents where party agents are demanding polling staff to read out voters’ names before casting their votes. The NEC viewed this practice as a direct violation of established polling and counting procedures, emphasizing its potential to compromise voter privacy and the secrecy of the voting process.

The NEC categorically denied any existence of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with political parties regarding the reading of voters’ names and cross-referencing them against the FRR. The Commission insisted that such practices contradict its established procedures and urges political parties to refrain from engaging in activities that could jeopardize the fairness and integrity of the electoral process.

MONROVIA – FrontPageAfrica has learned that an Information Communication Technology (ICT) expert brought into the country by the opposition Unity Party to train poll watchers and data entry clerks has been arrested in River Gee County for alleged election meddling.

The opposition Unity Party (UP), led by former Vice President Joseph Boakai, is set to face off with the incumbent President George Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) after both candidates went neck and neck in the October 10 election but failed to secure the constitutionally required 50 percent plus one vote to be declared the winner. The runoff election is scheduled for November 14, 2023.

FrontPageAfrica gathered that the UP’s IT expert, Sumson Essien, Jr., co-founder and CEO of Swift Ghana, was traveling with three others from Maryland County, where he had gone to train poll watchers and supervisors in the Southeastern region.

The Unity Party performed poorly in the region, which comprises five counties, known to be the stronghold of President Weah, who is seeking another six-year term.

According to police sources in River Gee, the Ghanaian expert is suspected of meddling in the October 10 elections and is alleged to be planning to continue the same interference in the November 14 runoff. However, FrontPageAfrica has not been able to independently verify these allegations.

When contacted for comments, Mo Ali, the spokesman for the Unity Party campaign team, confirmed the arrest. He stated that although Essien was arrested in River Gee on Wednesday, he was later transported to Harper, Maryland, and handed over to immigration authorities for protective custody. This action, according to Ali, was taken with the intervention of Senators Commany Wesseh and Boycharles Sogbie, among others.

Ali said Essien’s arrested was planned and triggered by spreading of falsehood that he had tampered with the National Elections Commission’s manual system to favor the Unity Party.

“There was a malicious propaganda spread by the CDC claiming that the Unity Party had brought in a Ghanaian hacker to manipulate the NEC manual system to change results in our favor from the Southeast… They had him arrested,” Ali said.

He said Essien was very instrumental, through his training, in preventing the rigging of election in Montserrado County was, therefore, asked to provide similar training in the Southeast.

Ali informed FrontPageAfrica that a photo of their IT expert was provided to the police in the Southeastern region, labeling him as a wanted person.

He also alleged that about 500 android phones, which supervisors are supposed to use for communication with poll watchers at various polling centers, were confiscated by the police in River Gee County. Additionally, Ali said that samples of the ballot papers used by the Unity Party campaign team, traveling with the Ghanaian expert, were also seized by the police.

While FrontPageAfrica was unable to obtain comments from the Liberia National Police by press time, the Unity Party spokesman stated that when they contacted the police, they were informed that an investigation was underway.

The Unity Party spokesman further alleged that their partisans engaged in campaign and civic voter education in the Southeast are being hindered and intimidated by officials in the region.

He called for the intervention of the Ministry of Justice to secure the release of Essien, who had been in Liberia for the past month and was working legally.