The Liberian government has issued a stinging rebuke of Mr. Allan White, the former chief prosecutor of former President Charles Ghankay Taylor, linking the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf-led government to support to the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change and football legend George Manneh Weah.
Mr. White, in an interview with Straight Talk Africa on the Voice of America said he had information of the plan being mapped out for Robert to replace Senator Weah once the Coalition for Democratic Change’s standard bearer ascends to the Presidency.
Mr. White said he has been informed by an unnamed individual who has spoken directly to one of the President’s sons, that a deal had been sealed with Senator Weah in which he will never go after the Sirleaf administration for any political corruption or graft.
“Second of all, there will be no war crimes tribunal.
As you all know in the TRC there is a reference. I know all too well what her involvement was and what it wasn’t, but that is not what I am here to talk about today. But thirdly, which is a very important issue, is that her son Robert has run for office before and was defeated soundly by Weah.
So, Weah had promised, so I’m told, and I talked to people and confirmed to the extent that I believe there is some validity to it.”
Asked whether he considers such evidence frankly incontrovertible, Mr. White replied: “Since you’re asking me, and this was brought up, I have not yet proven. I’m just telling you what I was able to uncover. But that the vacated seat of his position in Montserrado County, he would appointed.”
A point of clarity was made by James Butty, one of the moderators on the show’s panel who clarified: “Not appoint. Weah would get his supporters because there is nothing, when it comes to votes that Robert Sirleaf has. But Weah has votes when it comes to Montserrado County. So if there is any deal at all, that’s where Weah would come in.”
But Information Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe, responding to a FrontPageAfrica inquiry Saturday, said the government was gravely disappointed in Mr. White’s claims.
Said Mr. Nagbe: "The government of Liberia is disappointed over recent comments on the Voice of America Straight Talk Africa program by Mr. Allan White who made several baseless, untrue and unfounded comments against President Sirleaf.
Mr. White's regurgitation of politically motivated hearsay is quite unfortunate. We hereby categorically deny again that Madam President has entered into any political deal to give any support to the CDC as is being claimed.
The statement said the Government, under the leadership of President Sirleaf remains focused on ensuing that she culminates her exceptional leadership tenure with a transition in which the people of Liberia will freely, fairly and transparently chose their leader at the ballot box within the constitutionally prescribed time-frame. We urge Mr. White and others to contribute positively to Liberia's democracy by refraining from spreading untruthful propaganda.
Mr. White has made a series of controversial statements in the ongoing presidential elections in Liberia.
It can be recalled that Mr. White, during the early days of the political campaign season alleged that he had received information from credible sources that former President Charles Taylor was interfering with the 2017 election in Liberia.
“He’s been in discussion with Senator George Weah who recently signed an agreement to join forces with Jewel Taylor – Taylor’s former wife – to support seeking the presidency and the vice presidency. George will be at the top of the ticket”.
The CDC at first denied the allegations but Senator Weah later acknowledged that he held a conversation on the telephone with Mr. Taylor but that such a conversation should not be misinterpreted to mean that he has a relationship with the ex-president.
“I was in a gathering and one of Mr. Taylor’s relative was in conversation with him (Taylor), and the guy walk up to me and gave me the phone saying President Taylor wants to talk to you; so I held the phone and spoke to him,” Senator Weah told journalists who quizzed him on a number of national issues recently.
Mr. White was also in the mix of the Liberian politics when Senator Prince Y. Johnson, alarmed that he was summoned to Accra, Ghana by Mr. White and Mr. Benoni Urey, standard bearer of the All Liberian Party(ALP). Senator Johnson said the meeting was called by White and his team to discuss the Liberian elections.
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