Liberia: Koijee in US to Sue Former TRC Chairman for Slander
“People must be held accountable for what they spew out against others, and we are committed to ensuring that happens because, as leaders of our generation, we cannot sit idly by as these things continue to happen. Silence means consent,” says Koijee.
Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Tamba has announced that he is in the US to sue Cllr. Jerome Verdier, former Chairman of the erstwhile Truth and Reconciliation Commission, for slander.
Koijee, who has vowed to take legal action against Cllr. Jerome Verdier and other Liberians based in the US for linking him to murder and other crimes appear to be following through with his threat.
The mayor has stated that the upcoming lawsuit will hold Verdier and his associates accountable for slandering his character without any evidence to support their claims.
“While in the US, I will also take up considerable time engaging my lawyers on a possible lawsuit against Liberian citizens based in the US who have since been on a character assassination and propaganda against my person,” Koijee said in a Facebook post.
“People must be held accountable for what they spew out against others and we are committed to ensuring that happens because as leaders of our generation, we cannot sit idly as these things continue to happen. Silence means consent.”
Koijee’s decision however comes after Verdier accused him of masterminding the death of Charloe Musu, the niece of former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott.
Verdier claimed that Koijee hired Varlee Tarlleh, an ex-rebel general who works as a security guard for the Monrovia City Police Department, to assassinate the former Chief Justice.
However, the Mayor has however denied any involvement in the failed assassination attempt on the life of the former Chief Justice, saying he is “innocent and a victim of propaganda”.
The home of the former justice first came under attack on the night of February 8, with a repeat of the same incident happening the following night. The third attack which took place a week later, on February 22, resulted in the niece of Scott being stabbed to death by the alleged attacker.
Verdier’s allegations led to police naming Koijee and Tellah as persons of interest and later questioned. Both men denied Verdier’s claims and said they knew nothing about the deceased. The questioning was the first time the all-powerful Koijee has been questioned by the police despite being accused of other rights violations in the past.
Meanwhile, Koijee, who is attending an international conference on Water Resources, called on the Liberia National Police to be impartial in their dealings with all in the country.
His comment, according to him, was in reference to the police action to prevent supporters of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change) from parading in the streets in Old Road, Montserrado Electoral District #10.
“On the national front, we condemn any act of violence perpetrated by anyone. The police should be impartial in their dealings. You can’t disallow one group of people, then allow opposition members to parade in the same place,” he said. “The police have the responsibility to protect our democracy. The act in District #10 is thereby condemned by us, hoping an investigation is launched.”
“People with names like Jalloh, Barry, Kamara, and Fofana are being denied registration by NEC. This is discrimination and a violation of their rights. Last names should not be a barrier for legitimate Liberian citizens to register,” sad Koijee.