Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah has branded former President George Weah's declared resistance against the Unity Party led-government as "empty talk", that is only intended to satisfy Weah and his followers.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) on Thursday, Minister Piah dismissed the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) political leader's threats of resisting the government's prosecution of former officials who are allegedly involved in acts of corruption.
"The government is not deterred, nor concerned about your empty threat," he said.
The minister noted that Weah's threat is a failed attempt to distract from the ongoing comprehensive audits of government institutions.
Former President George Weah criticized the administration's anticorruption efforts, alleging that they are a deliberate attempt to undermine the rule of law and target political opponents.
Weah, at a press conference in Monrovia on Wednesday, August 1, accused the Boakai administration of using state resources to pursue its political agenda, sparking tensions between the CDC and the ruling UP.
"The Unity Party can be assured that the CDC will use all legal and political means at its disposal to resist this move to weaponize the country's judicial system to its selfish advantage. Yes, Mr. Boakai, your actions to politicize justice will be resisted and resisted strongly," he said. "The Unity Party government, in the execution of their evil plans, chose to ignore legal and constitutional reliance, available evidence, and pursue reckless measures. The Unity Party must be reminded that these antics have only brought about disorder and confusion in Liberia's recent history."
Weah denounced what he described as the Unity Party's "unlawful detentions" targeting opposition members and highlighted various grievances against the government's actions.
Weah accuses the ruling Unity Party administration of orchestrating a series of "unlawful detentions" of former government officials in a "political move" targeting the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change.
It could be recalled that five top former officials of the Weah's administration were indicted by the government for acts of rampant corruption. These include former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, former Presidential National Security Advisor Jefferson Karmo, former Solicitor General of Liberia, Cllr. Nyenati Tuan and former comptroller of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), now Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA), D. Moses P. Cooper.
Three of the five were arrested and are detained at the Monrovia Central Prison.
"The action was taken void of any indictment by a grand jury. This is the latest transgression of the Boakai Administration in their callous attempt to undermine the rule of law and security of the state."
He also cited a litany of alleged transgressions, including the "harassment and removal of civil servants from the system based purely along party lines," the "excessive use of force against citizens resulting in several deaths," and the "disregard for the tenure laws of the country even in the face of the Liberia Supreme Court's rulings."
He vowed to resist any attempts to manipulate the judicial system for political gain and asserted that the government's actions have led to disorder and confusion in Liberia's recent history.
"Yes Mr. Boakai, your actions to politicize justice will be resisted and resisted strongly," the CDC Political Leader vowed resistance.
However, Minister Piah said on Thursday that the former President's should not be given any attention--adding, "This was a man whose administration was a scam that looted the country on an industrial scale."
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Piah questioned how a former president could speak so loosely without a solid argument, emphasizing that Weah lacks the moral standing to comment on the issues he raised in his Wednesday statement.
The minister further noted that the government is undeterred by Weah's remarks, recalling that Weah's six-year tenure was marked by significant instances of witch hunts within government entities.
Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah responded to former President George Weah's recent statement as "empty," dismissing the allegations made against the government and referring to Weah's administration as being involved in significant corruption. Minister Piah expressed that the government is focused on ongoing audits of government institutions and views Weah's comments as a distraction tactic.
Piah questioned the basis of Weah's statements and noted that the government remains committed to addressing any corruption issues within its purview. The minister pointed out past instances of what he described as "witch hunts" during Weah's time in office.
