Liberia: Cummings Hires Forensic Investigator to Defend Record

British lawyer Cherie Blair.

Renowned British lawyer Cherie Blair has been asked by the political leader of the Alternative National Congress to conduct a forensic investigation into the Collaborating Political Parties framework document, which the party leader Alexander Cummings is being accused of tampering with illegally. 

However, Cummings and his party have vigorously denied claims made by the All Liberian Party and its political leader Benoni W. Urey that he conspired to tamper with the CPP framework document before submitting it to the National Elections Commission while serving as the CP chair of then. 

It forms the basis of ongoing criminal proceedings against Cummings and others at the Monrovia City Court where he is being tried for forgery and criminal conspiracy. The ALP leader, who is a strong political ally of former Vice President Boakai and his Unity Party (UP), is fulfilling his promise to seek legal action for an “unlawful attachment” of its leader’s signature to the CPP framework document.

“We are privileged to engage in this important truth-finding exercise, to independently assess the veracity of the allegations and get to the bottom of this sensitive issue,” the wife of former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair added.  “We are aware of the serious nature of the claims on both sides, and the ramifications of our findings not just for Liberia’s opposition but for the country’s future.”

The investigation by the British preeminent human right comprised experienced experts from her international law firm, Omnia Strategy LLP, and the London-based investigations and intelligence firm, Alaco Limit. 

Her investigation is a response to concerns from friends and questions from partners and colleagues of Cummings about the tampering allegations and his desire to be thoroughly scrutinized through public, private, and all forms of investigation so as to prove his innocence and highest moral standing. 

The firm, Omnia, is an international law firm founded in 2011 by Cherie Blair CBE, QC. Omnia specializes in bespoke dispute resolution and dispute prevention around the world, through its unique Law+ approach, combining legal expertise with experience across policy, business, and communications. 

Omnia is trusted by government, corporate and private clients to provide legal and strategic counsel on a broad spectrum of matters, including international arbitra, in, business and human rights, public int, international law, and more unconventional problem-solving.

Alaco, established in 2002, is a leading business intelligence and investigations firm, based in London and operating globally on behalf of its clients on both transactional and contentious matters. 

Alaco’s multilingual staff draws on its experience from a variety of backgrounds, such as law, government, journalism, financial services, and diplomacy. 

Mrs. Blair's investigation will be the second d carried out on the CPP framework document. The first was commissioned by Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, when she served as the CPP chairperson. 

The investigation which was done by CPP partisans and released by the Senator in October 2021 — claimed that Cummings and his party illegally modified the framework document. 

But the ANC and Cummings denied the Grand Bassa County claims of capture in the CPP partisans' investigation deceiving the Liberian people regarding contested findings “thus unleashing the public onslaught.

Announcing the forensic investigation, Cummings, a former Vice President for Coca-Cola, a Fortune 500 company, said he commissioned the independent investigation to provide an objective evaluation of the claims made by the ALP and the Liberian government as the allegations are an attempt to question and undermine his values. 

“In a fearless commitment to protecting my reputation and integrity, both at home and abroad, and as a duty of my Liberian citizenship, I have commissioned an independent international forensic investigation of the allegations with two international organizations, both of which have established global credibility and recognition in the conduct of such truth-finding and independent forensic investigative works,” he said. 

“For the better part of 40 years of my life, I have worked professionally in high leadership positions without a taint on my reputation or a question to my integrity. I value and will fight with everything I have been blessed to have to protect and defend my family, reputation, honor, and integrity,” Cummings noted. “In fact, these values of leadership which I cherish, have emboldened me to seek the presidency to meaningfully fight corruption and end the mismanagement of our natural wealth for which our country is sadly so corrupt and our people are unacceptably so poor.”

Cummings added that he is convinced of the fact he is innocent along with his party; as such he has directed that Mrs. Blair's investigation findings are made public without reference to whether or not it supports his public claim of innocence.

According to the ANC leader, Liberians deserve the independent truth, as do many of my colleagues, friends, and partners with whom he has had the privilege of working professionally, at home and around the world. 

The ANC leader hopes that the independent truth will not just set him and his colleagues free, as they have been falsely and maliciously caused, but also “help to set our country free”. 

“We need to clean up our politics and move our society from unjustly seeking the downfall of friends and foes. Politics is about lifting people and country. It should not be about undermining the interest of the people, destroying our democracy or putting our country down, as our accusers are doing and some have always done in our country,” the Liberian politician said.  

“Politics should also never cause our courts to be weaponized against anyone who disagrees with a government so that a failed leader gets re-elected not on the account of his/her stewardship but legal subterfuge and political deception,” he added.