Liberia: Lawsuit Awaits NSA, LAA

31 August 2023
The New Republic Liberia (Monrovia)

The main opposition Unity Party (UP) has threatened legal action against the Government of Liberia for allegedly leaking a closed-Circuit TV (CCTV) footage of Ambassador Joseph Nyumah Boakai's departure from the country.

Addressing a news conference Tuesday, 29 August 2023, UP's Campaign Spokesperson, Mohammed Ali stated that the Unity Party's lawsuit targets state-owned Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) Deputy Director, Sam Siryon in its planned lawsuit.

The UP accused the two state agencies, LAA and NSA of unauthorized and unlawful disclosure of video footage exposing the privacy of its Standard-bearer Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai.

The party complained that on 28 August 2023, its Standard-bearer and former Vice President Boakai took a break from the campaign tour of Montserrado County for a three-day official visit to Ghana. The former ruling party disclosed that Amb. Boakai departed the Roberts International Airport (RIA) at about 7 AM via ASKY.

Minutes after Ambassador Boakai's departure, the UP laments that journalists from Freedom FM which is owned by Mr. Siryon announced on their station that Amb. Boakai had been hurriedly flown out of Liberia for emergency medical attention.

UP pointed out that following the pronouncement from Freedom FM, scores of zealots of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and officials of government including Presidential Aide Sekou Kalasco Damaro and Deputy Finance Minister Samora P. Z. Wolokolie flooded social media pages with claims that Amb. Boakai was sick.

But the UP stated that its Rescue Mission Campaign promptly refuted the claims of Sam Siryon's Freedom FM and CDC zealots including government officials through a Facebook release by National Campaign Spokesman, Mohammed Ali.

Mr. Ali alleged that Mr. Siryon unlawfully released to journalists at his station and surrogates of the CDC a CCTV footage of the Unity Party Standard-bearer making his way through the airport terminal to board a flight.

Mr. Ali alleged further that the CCTV footage was sent to Mr. Siryon by RIA Managing Director Martin Hayes. Mr. Ali noted that the unauthorized release of the CCTV footage of Mr. Boakai is in clear violation of Section 17.40.3 of the Liberia Civil Aviation Regulations, Volume XXI, No. 70. August 11, 2021.

He indicated that the CCTV footage is part of the Passenger Name Record (PNR) of the UP's Standard-bearer, and it is his privacy.

"The Legal Team of the Rescue Mission Campaign is reviewing all of the legal implications associated with the release of the CCTV footage of the UP-Standard-bearer and will advise appropriately," said Mr. Ali.

He added the right to that privacy was violated by the RIA and the government operating through the NSA and its surrogates.

Read the original article on New Republic.

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