Senator J. Milton Teahjay for the first time yesterday, Monday, November 15, 2021 heavily descended on Miss Patricia Flomo for what he called the “horrendous allegations” linking him to illegal possession of her car which she claimed was sent to the Senator to clear from the Port of Monrovia, terming the her intention as wanting to criminally use any means necessary to obtain the vehicle.
Senator Teahjay who spoke to the media in his office on Capitol Hill said he was baffled by the action of Miss Flomo whom he referred to as a former fiancée of his younger brother Patrick who resides in the United States to take the route of trying to bully and blackmail him for no reason. He said his first acquaintance with the lady was when she came from the United States and visited his office where she introduced herself as a fiancée of his younger brother and out of courtesy and tradition after the meeting he took her around the town to make her happy and later on she left for the United States.
“I met Miss Flomo two times in my life. The first interaction was when she came to Monrovia two months ago as my younger brother’s girlfriend to see me and I put her in my car , took her to see places she wanted to go just to make her comfortable. After that she went back to the United States and I never heard from her again. What happened , what did not happen, the relationship went sour. My brother told me he was pulling away from the relationship. She made some representation to me for my intervention for my brother to take her back but I didn’t succeed”, Senator gave background of his contact with Miss Flomo.
Addressing the issue concerning the car Miss Flomo is claiming, Senator stated that he called the press to his office to speak on and rebuke the three allegations the lady levied against him which he stated that she sent the car to him to clear it from the port of Monrovia using his duty free privilege as a Senator, secondly that she accused him of falsifying documents to legitimizing his claim to the car as his property and thirdly the lady claimed also that his brother Patrick was just a casual friend even though they live together for four and a half years as fiancées. He said those allegations were all proven to be lies as the case went from one place to another.
Senator Teahjay said when both Patrick, his brother and Patricia were separating, Patrick made a decision that according to tradition in Liberia, one does not go about taking things from a lady when you are departing, especially a lady whom you have spent some time together with. He said out of the 3 cars Patrick had, he gave her two and everything in the house and took only one car to be used for work because he was moving to a new apartment.
He said Patrick realized that the car he took away was small and since it was during the winter season, he decided to get a bigger one and sent the smaller car to him (Senator Teahjay) in Liberia which he was able to clear from the port and in his possession.
The Sinoe County lawmaker said that he was astonished when Patricia came to Liberia and started to make claims that the car Patrick sent to him was hers and that it should be turned over to her.
He said instead of her first meeting him directly, she met Senator Prince Y. Johnson and told him that he (Teahjay) has a car for her and that he does not want to give it to her. Senator Johnson then asked him that he should come over to his (Johnson’s) office so as to find a way forward but he refused to turn out because in the first place the lady did not bring the issue to his attention but was contacting others outside.
Not satisfied, Senator Teahjay said that the lady went straight to Cllr Arthur Johnson, who coincidentally is his lawyer and made representation with the same claim and asking for his legal services. He said he went to Cllr. Johnson’s office upon request and when he got there he saw the lady.
He said after hearing from Cllr. Johnson, he decided to ask Patricia three questions. One of the questions was if at all both of them have ever discussed about any car being sent to him to be cleared using his duty free privilege to which according to him, she said no.
“Secondly, Patricia when you came to Liberia, did you meet me to say the car sent to you is my car or the car Patrick sent to you was stolen and sent to you? She said no.
“When you were in America, did you tell me, Milton, please I am sending a car to you to clear on my behalf, she said no”, Senator Teahjay said.
The Senator who repeatedly stated that he believes and complies with the rule of law said after hearing all the negative responses she gave, he decided to go the extra mile with the view of closing the case amicably and told Cllr Johnson what he wanted to do.
“But Counsellor, I want to make things easier for her, I don’t know the circumstances under which the car was bought; but let me call Patrick my brother in front of the three of us. If Patrick says look, give the car to Patricia, I will just go downstairs to go for the car and give it to her and I will be done with the issue”, he stated.
He said the call was placed with the phone on speaker to Patrick and his brother said the car is not for Patricia and should not be given to her and that if Senator Teahjay does not want to use it , he should give it to any other person in the family to use it.
The lawmaker said out of desperation, the lady took the case at the Magisterial court with the same complaint and the Judge whom he called Judge Jomah wrote asking him to appear before the court for a conference but he replied citing Article 42 of the constitution, that as a Senator he was not inclined to go to court and meet the judge in chamber because he was in session. He thanked the Judge who, according to him, understood the issue and decided to withdraw the letter because it was written in error.
“These are the judges we are looking for in this country. He did not put up a defense, he knows that when senators and representatives are meeting in session to discuss issues of the state, you don’t take them to court”, he praised Judge Jomah.
Senator Teahjay, who described the lady as a “psychiatric escapee” said that when she knew that she had no ground with Judge Jomah, she took the case to the Criminal Court where again Judge Nuta wrote him to appear before him to answer some questions and he in similar manner wrote the judge to withdraw the letter that he was risking his own career because the same constitution that protects judges not to be questioned for judgments rendered in court is the same constitution that protects senators not to be summoned in court when they are in session.
He reminded Judge Nuta that if he refuses to withdraw the letter, the Senate can as well write him for contempt. He said as of yesterday, he was yet to receive the letter of withdrawal and Judge Nuta risks the wrath of the law.
The Sinoe County lawmaker who also served as Superintendent for the County summarized his submission that as far as his explanation went he has answered all questions and proven beyond reason doubts that Patricia has no case against him. He then asked three rhetorical questions and came up with a negative response to prove his innocence.
“Did Patricia send me any car to clear for her and I refuse? No. Did Patricia and myself ever have a conversation regarding any car being cleared for her so that when she gets on the ground it should be given to her? No. Did my brother Patrick ever tell me during our conversation to give the car and I refused? the answer is no”, he said.
On the allegation of falsification, Senator Teahjay said, “ what is there for me to falsify? Senators don’t create records for themselves. If you have consignment to bring in the country and you want to clear them through duty free privilege, you must go through a broker who works with the senate and the senate in turn writes the Liberia Revenue Authority to process the transaction. You don’t make documents for yourself”, he added.
To give credence to his belief and respect in the rule law, Senator Teahjay in conclusion, said that in 2013, he was sued in Sinoe for purchasing a piece of land and building on it and in the end, he lost both the land and the house and parked out of it. He also said that in 2015, he was taken to court on 6 counts for criminal offence and 1 civil, got acquitted on the 6 counts but was liable on the civil offense and he paid the fine as was prescribed by the law.
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