Liberia: A Rejoinder to the Inquirer Newspaper Article's Libelous Allegations Against the Liberian Embassy in London and Its Ambassador

9 June 2022
FrontPageAfrica (Monrovia)

Dear Managing Editor:

This is to notify you that your newspaper must cease and desist from the defamation of my character and reputation. This notice relates to the false, harmful, and defamatory story you published in your newspaper about me and other employees at the Embassy of Liberia in London, UK.

The May 23, 2022 edition of your newspaper published a bold front-page headline titled, Corruption, Toxic Work Environment At Liberia's Embassy In London. According to your newspaper, the story was about two years of investigative reporting by your paper regarding public corruption, bribes, unhealthy working practice and procedure, and other illicit activities by me and other employees at the Embassy of Liberia in London, UK -- stating your false and misrepresented claims within these specific prongs: (a) that I the Ambassador a subject of your investigation, operate a criminal enterprise at the Embassy, (b) that I and other subjects of your investigation at the Embassy changed the visa stamp at the Mission for corrupt purposes to support our foreign friends, (c) that a subject of your investigation who is related to me secretly installed monitoring software on the Embassy's computers and hidden video cameras to monitor the movements and activities of employees at the Embassy, (d) that another subject of your investigation who is an Embassy employee is my conduit for the illegal sale of Liberian passports to foreigners, and, (e) that I the Ambassador is in the practice of firing experienced Foreign Service staff to replace them with inefficient individuals who are loyal to me.

Upon information and belief, and as a result of your publication's outright lies and misrepresentation, false claims, and reporting, your newspaper has severely damaged the good reputation and character I fought hard to build over decades. I have an impeccable character beyond reproach that stands out -- serving my country as a Foreign Service official for almost twenty years with a clean record. The frivolous, reckless, erroneous, false, and defamatory statements published by your newspaper is a hit job, something that savors bias, a clear exemplification and actual malice against me, that motivated your unfairness and the false and inaccurate descriptions, publishing falsehoods about me as an official of the Government of Liberia -- being fully aware that those statements were false and pure lies, with reckless disregard for the truth.

In accordance with Liberian law, it is unlawful to make a direct or an indirect false statement against a party that can damage that party's reputation by exposing such person to public ridicule or harm the person's profession and image; to make any false statement, pictures or video intended to cause harm or damage another's character or reputation, that is communicated to another either in writing or verbally, and which the offending party is aware or should have been aware that such statement, pictures or video were false and untrue. Worse, the preceding were the exact effects intended by your actual malice and prejudice against me to destroy my public authenticity, to damage my image and standing among officials of the Government of Liberia, to injure my reputation among members of the diplomatic corps, among my colleagues, and among my family and friends worldwide.

As a general matter, despite two years spent conducting investigative reporting for your story, your newspaper failed to do pre-publication vetting to review the story to address legal concerns prior to release with the goal of reducing associated legal risk. Your paper also failed to follow good journalistic practices to ensure the accuracy, fairness, and completeness of your reporting. Your newspaper devoted two years to conduct an investigative reporting, but you did not give me and others who were the subjects of your investigation an opportunity to respond and include the response(s) in the story to demonstrate your lack of fairness.

Your investigative report was motivated by lies to disparage my reputation, character, and image as a serving official of the Government of Liberia.

It is not too late, therefore I am giving your newspaper an opportunity to course correct its libelous publication against my reputation. Accordingly, I demand with immediate effect that you cease and desist your unlawful defamation against me and the other subjects of your investigative reporting. You are hereby directed to issue a retraction of your May 23, 2022, erroneous and biased publication within 10 days of the date written above. Your failure to act accordingly within the time specified will lead me to pursue all available legal remedies that include seeking monetary damages, injynctive relief, and an order that your newspaper pays court costs and attorney fees.

The situation with your newspaper is serious.

Regards,

Amb. Gurly Gibson Schwarz

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