(Minneapolis, MN, USA; 30 July 2024); The Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas (ALJA), has applauded the Liberian government for its decision to prosecute former officials of the Weah administration for alleged acts of public corruption.
ALJA believes the indictment of former Minister Samuel Tweahof the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, former Solicitor General, Cllr. Nyenati Tuan, former Director-General Stanley Ford of the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), former Comptroller, D. Moses P. Cooper of the FIA, and former National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmoh, by the Monrovia City Court on multiple charges including economic sabotage, theft/ illegal disbursement of public funds and criminal facilitation/conspiracy is a demonstration of the Liberian government’s commitment to accountability, transparency and the rule of law.
In a press release issued on July 30, 2024, ALJA expressed the hope that the prosecution of the accused former officials would help minimize the abuse of power and limit the exploitation of official positions for personal gains as well as deter future acts of corruption by public officials.
The Association said for too long the culture of impunity has eroded integrity in the public sector and contributed to the massive looting of state resources by some public officials. ALJA expressed the hope that the indictment and impartial trial of the accused would signal the dawn of an era of accountability, good governance, and the rule of law in Liberia.
At the same time, ALJA says it applauds the decision of the Liberia National Police (LNP) to reopen investigations into the mysterious death of the former Director General of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Emmanuel Barthan Nyeswa.
In 2020, former Director General Nyeswa died at his home in Monrovia under mysterious circumstances. The then Weahadministration in an autopsy report, claimed that Nyeswa died after falling from the second-floor balcony of his home and recommended further probe of the incident by the police.
On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, police authorities in Monrovia announced that they have reopened an investigation into circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. Nyeswa, nearly four years after the brutal death of the top audit official. ALJA says it believes that the decision by the Liberia National Police to reopen investigation into the unresolved death of Mr. Nyeswamanifests the dedication and commitment of the Liberian government to ensuring justice and accountability, public safety, and respect for human rights.
The Association says the probe would further reaffirm the Liberian government’s commitment to the reinstatement of public trust in law enforcement, the judicial system and other institutions of the government of Liberia. ALJA stated, “Liberians need to be assured that authorities are competent and diligent in protecting their lives and welfare”.
The ALJA press release signed by the Association’s Officer-In-Charge (OIC), Joey Kennedy, also called on the LNP to institute similar probes into the suspicious deaths of internal auditors Albert Peters, Gifty Lama, and George B. Fahnbutu of the Liberia Revenue Authority(LRA) as well as Melvin Earley, Bobby Manneh and Amanda Nebo of the Executive Protection Services (EPS), Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), and the Liberian National Police (LNP), among others, who also died under suspicious circumstances in the country.
Mr. Kennedy said, “ALJA believes that an impartial investigation of the causes of these mysterious deaths will not only help prevent future incidents but would also lead to the unearthing and prosecution of the perpetrators of the murders as well as ensure social stability and prevent the spread of rumors and misinformation”.
At the same time, the ALJA Officer-In-Charge has described as despicable and unacceptable the recent threat issued by Assistant Internal Affairs Minister for Urban Affairs, Mike Jabateh, against Montserrado County District-10 Representative, YekehKolubah, in which the assistant minister said that he and some unnamed individuals would bring in mercenaries to kill the Montserrado County lawmaker if he (representative Kolubah) did not refrain from insulting
President Joseph Boakai. ALJA says the threat against the life of the lawmaker is concerning and wants the government to immediately launch a full-scale investigation into the matter noting that Liberia is a country of laws and not men; and Liberians cannot sit idly and allow anyone, including Assistant Minister Jabateh, to make such threatening remarks against another citizen of Liberia with impunity.
ALJA is a conglomeration of current and retired Liberian journalists residing in the Americas. It is a 501c (3) non-profit organization. The Association was founded in 1998 with the objectives of advancing press freedom through media capacity building, and the fostering of good governance in Liberia through media advocacy.
