MONROVIA: It is either a sweeping dragnet against impunity, a drive for accountability, that the Boakai-led ruling Unity Party is widening its probes of every dint of controversy that took place under the reign of its predecessor or, as other say, it is a rewind of the William V.S. Tubman’s political playbook that teaches how to frame political events intentionally to get even with political foes. With three officials of the Ex-CDC government being summoned in connection to the death of auditors, the UP is expanding its nest to include other real or perceived political protagonists. Former CDC Lord Mayor of the City of Monrovia appears to be next in line, as The Analyst reports.
It can be recalled that in January, 2023, reports made rounds in the media and subsequently confirmed by state security actors that a catch of arms and ammunition had been arrested at the Freeport of Monrovia. Accusing fingers were pointed at the 39-year-old City Mayor of Monrovia, Jefferson Tamba Koijee who was an influential member of former President George Weah’s inner circle. Mr. Koijee is now the Secretary General of Liberia’s former ruling party, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) after his party’s shocking defeat to Unity Party’s Joseph Nyumah Boakai.
Initial investigation by the CDC-led Government pointed to a man identified as Boye Baker and his accomplices as masterminds behind the illegal importation of the arms. Immediately afterwards, insinuations inundated several quarters that the Police were arm-twisted to manipulate the “actual outcome of the investigation that would have exposed Mr. Koijee of being the owner of the container full of arms.”
On July 23, 2024, the new leadership of the Liberia National Police (LNP) reopened the investigation files and concluded that the outcome of the previous investigation was authentic and avoid of political influence.
The Inspector General of Police, Col. Gregory O. W. Coleman told a July 23, 2024 press conference that investigation into the January 6, 2023 arms arrest was reopened and concluded that Mr. Boyd Benjamin Baker is the suspect.
The alleged importers of the arms, according to the Liberia National Police Chief, have been charged with multiple crimes in abstentia since he is residing in the United States. They were charged with criminal conspiracy, facilitation and smuggling
Col. Coleman added that all the consignment of arms have been retrieved and in the possession of the Police. In effect, the Police has vindicated former Mayor Koijee of any connection with the illegal importation of arms as insinuated at the time of arrest. IG Coleman said the indictment has been sent to the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to arrest the suspects in the event they are seen anywhere in the world.
In response to the news that a second investigation has been concluded restating previous conclusion, the CDC Chief scribe said “truth crushed to the ground will rise again no matter how long it takes. Those who fear us when we were given the chance to serve our country peddled lies against me that I brought arms into the country.”
Koijee sighed that those “shameless and irresponsible traditional liars have been rewarded with jobs in the Joseph Boakai led administration.”
He pointed out that Mr. Eugene Lamine Fahngon, who survives only in an environment where lies are cherished should be courageous enough to apologize to the Liberian people for deceiving them just to get a Director Generator of the Liberia Broadcasting System job.
SG Koijee indicated that the police should also investigate circumstances that led to the death of citizens in Lofa during the election including mobbed Solomon Joshua, Augustine Pennoh, Patrick Jarso, Caypae Doe, Josiah Saah Rayloe, and Tamba Momoh who were killed by supporters of the Unity Party to demonstrate the Police sincerity to be impartial.
Koijee frowned on the purported “normalization taking away the lives of ordinary Liberians particularly the accident involving the motorcade of the President that caused the death of two tricycle riders in the ELWA community on July 24, 2024.
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