Former President George Weah led senior officials of the Congress for Democratic Change to Monrovia Central Prison on Thursday to visit former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, drawing hundreds of supporters into central Monrovia and a brief confrontation between his security detail and state police that a former lawmaker stepped in to calm.
Weah did not speak publicly after the visit. He stayed inside his convoy as security officers escorted him from the prison, and he left for his residence in Rehab.
Howard-Taylor is being held in connection with a cocaine case.
Supporters who gathered outside the prison told The Liberian Investigator they want a harder line from Weah if he returns to office in 2029, starting with the allies they say damaged his first administration.
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"The first thing I want to tell George Weah is that anybody that works in his government and is doing bad, he should bring them to book, even if it's his best friends, he should bring them to book," said Momodu Watson, a supporter, who said some of Weah's close associates misled him about the conditions ordinary Liberians faced.
The complaint tracks a criticism that followed Weah through his 2018 to 2024 term, that he was unwilling to dismiss or discipline close allies accused of misconduct or poor performance. Watson said a future Weah administration should also investigate officials of the current government and prosecute those against whom credible evidence is established.
Patricia, a supporter who gave only her first name, said she voted for change and no longer sees it.
"My issues I have with this government: they have not given us any account of the US$19 million drugs; the country is hard; they are dismissing people from jobs without any reason, so they are running the country on enmity," she said. "I accepted this government to bring change because they accused my leader, George Manneh Weah, of bringing Kush into the country."
Patience Manneh, another supporter, said she would stay with the party and accused the Monrovia City Police of harassing petty traders.
"You're selling in Redlight Market, police people beating on you and taking your market and money even though the government is not providing us any job opportunity to help ourselves," she said.
A third supporter, who was not named, said the split between the Congress for Democratic Change and the ruling Unity Party has reached into ordinary life.
"This country is extremely divided. I can tell you ... to where I live, landlords are giving their tenants notices to leave their houses because the tenants are members of the CDC while the landlords are UP members, which tells you the country is divided into two," the supporter said.
The crowd chanted against the government, including "You get police, Guinea take your land. You get army, Guinea take your land," and "Boakai take your cocaine, we want George Weah."
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The confrontation outside the prison involved officers of the Police Support Unit and members of Weah's security detail. Acarous Moses Gray, a former representative for Montserrado County District 8, intervened and helped calm it.
