Liberia: Alleged Plot to Destroy Mayor Koijee?

(L-r) Spoon Network CEO, Stanton Witherspoon; former Deputy Information Minister, Eugene Fahngon; and former TRC Chairman, Cllr. Jerome Verdier

 

— Witherspoon, Fahngon, Verdier accused  

The legal Team of the Monrovia City Mayor headed by Cllr. Arthur Johnson has accused the Chief Executive Officer of Spoon Group of Companies Stanton Witherspoon and former Deputy Information Minister Eugene L. Fahngon and former Truth and Reconciliation Commission chairman Jerome Verdier and others of a plot against Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee after leaked audio.

Excerpts of the audios revealed conversations of Witherspoon, Fahngon, Verdier, Alex Williams, and Sheik Sackor alleged conspiracy with Monrovia City Police Inspector Thomas Garwo while promising to provide opportunities, including financial support if the city police chief can resign and provide misinformation about Mayor Koijee. 

According to Verdier, they will work to provide asylum for Garwo and his family and indicated that it would be good for him because nothing is happening now in Liberia under President George M. Weah-led government.

Verdier: “I will organize your statement in the way it suppose to be and you will just tell me what all you know and what all you experienced and then I will send it back to you if it is correct, you will sign it and send it back to me and I will send it to Congress.”

According to Verdier, this is where Garwo’s protection will come in and Garwo asylum will begin through the lawyers and promised to provide an affidavit.

“I have done this for plenty of people to get their status even while in Liberia because some people referred to the TRC report. They will call me and say this person says you know he or she and you were a TRC chairman and I will say yes,” Verdier said.   

“There are lots of audios exposing this country by some of the sons of this country. You will hear the story and you will be the judge. To lie on someone simply because of political reasons is unfortunate,” Cllr. Johnson said.

According to Johnson, this plan was masterminded the moment the city police director left Liberia and currently we are in discussion with our partners in the United States. Cllr. Johnson said Witherspoon pledged to provide US$10,000 immediately after the resignation of Garwo and appear on the Spoon Television. 

Verdier said this is something he has been doing over the years even during his days at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and he has helped people.

Addressing the journalists on Thursday, May 4 in Monrovia, Cllr. Johnson said this has been a long conspiracy against Monrovia City Mayor Koijee to destroy his character and political life. 

"We said there is a plan because Koijee is a serious person in this government and so those guys are doing everything possible to bring him down," Johnson said.

Cllr. Johnson said the facts have proven that Mayor Koijee is not associated with those lies spewed out by some Liberians, particularly those residing in the United States but a planned conspiracy to damage the honorable reputation.

According to him, the plan has a long history dating from the time of the Jestina Taylor, who used her allegations against Koijee to seek asylum in the United States and today has remained mute. 

"The group is a syndicate that aims at creating insecurity in our country. This was a plan to lie to the Mayor," Cllr. Johnson told newsmen. 

The audio quotes Sheik Sackor as saying "I am trying to help you because we all know that Weah government is about fun."

Fahngon: "I sat attentively to hear from you and to see how I can help you. Someone brought you our way to see how we can help you."

Accordingly, Witherspoon said he doesn't like talking too much but, if Garwo wants his help, he can help.

Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee, speaking briefly, said he is not surprised by a shocking revelation because he knows how Liberia is in terms of damaging people.

"Our history is clean and there is no way you can try to implicate us into said evil doing. We witnessed Jestina Taylor who came with conflicting accounts and lied to destroy me but my character speaks for itself," Koijee said.

According to Koijee, those negative things associated with him over the years have been people's imaginations and have no truth. 

He said he thought Verdier meant well for Liberia but not achieving his dream of becoming president led to him doing these things he is doing in Liberia.

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