As the nation attracts nearer to its essential 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections, the political chief of the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC), Alexander B. Cummings has are available in severe protection of people accused of conflict and financial crimes in Liberia.
Cummings who has additionally professed himself as champion for justice recenelty defended his choice to call Dr. Togar Gayewea McIntosh and three different people accused of conflict and financial crimes to his marketing campaign, stating that he opposed the pronouncement of “guilt upon individuals only by association.”
“Where individuals are accused of the commission of a crime, they must come to face their accusers and where the evidence is presented to support guilt, each must answer fully and be justly punished before the altar of justice,” mentioned the ANC political chief.
The former Coco Cola Bottling firm boss emphasised that whereas his presidency would assist the institution of a “War and Economic Crimes Court;” he additionally basically in opposition to excluding Liberians from the enjoyment of the entire rights and privileges of citizenship.
He maintained, “I faithfully promise to work with everyone, who, like me, desires to work for Real Change in our country. I continue to believe a united people can achieve even the most difficult things.”
“And I fundamentally opposed to excluding Liberians from the enjoyment of all of the rights and privileges of their citizenship, unless such Liberians are excluded by the law from doing so. This is why, as President, I will exclude no one, not even me, from answering to the law whenever required to do so,” Cummings reiterated.
It could be recalled that Mr. McIntosh, a seasoned political tactician who has been heavy concerned with Liberian and regional politics for years now was one of many many people the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) experiences beneficial to be streaked from politics for 30 years.
The TRC’s choice was nevertheless taken because of Mr. McIntosh’s alleged involvement within the nation’s 14-year of bloody civil unrest.
Notably, one other TRC indictee, who Cummings named on his just lately launched marketing campaign crew, is Daniel Chea, a former Senior Military Commander of the NPFL and Defense Minister of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, who’s jailed in London for conflict crimes in Sierra Leone. Chea has been accused by the TRC for the bloodbath of 25 individuals in Nigabouzu, Lofa County in September 1999.
He was beneficial to face an investigation for aiding and abetting conflict crimes together with his alleged involvement with the safety forces of the Oriental Timber Company (OTC).
His colleagues on Cummings’ preliminary Presidential marketing campaign listing, Lewis Brown, can also be accused of misuse of public property/funds when he served as Managing Director of the LPRC through the conflict years of Taylor’s Presidency. The TRC, which Brown appeared earlier than, beneficial additional investigation.
Brown, who has circled the summit of public life, is becoming a member of the Cummings crew as a seasoned technocrat and coverage professional. He is a former National Security Advisor to Taylor and labored within the Unity Party administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as then Information Minister after which Liberia’s everlasting consultant to the United Nations (UN).
Most of all of it, one other TRC indictee on the Cummings crew is Montserrado County District 10 Representative, Yekeh Kolubah, who’s a former combatant and has mentioned repeatedly that he needs to seem earlier than a Liberian conflict crimes court docket to exonerate him as a result of he was used as a baby soldier.
However, he was as soon as an officer within the Special Operation Division (SOD), an notorious part of the Liberia National Police (LNP) throughout former president Charles Gangay Taylor’s authorities.
Dan Morias, one other outdated time ally of ex-President Taylor, can also be on the crew. Morias served as Taylor’s Interior Minister and Superintendent of Maryland below President Sirleaf. Morias was talked about in a TRC 2008 interview, the place he was evidently accused of collaborating with General William Smith to bloodbath 369 individuals of the Glaro area, in and round completely different locations round River Gee in 2003.
More apparently, the criticism in opposition to Cummings comes as he has over time offered himself as a brand new breed of a Liberian politician who doesn’t subscribe to the outdated manner, relatively one which comes with actual change, and usually quote, “You cannot keep doing the same thing and expect new results if Liberia is to change.”
Cummings defined, “Where the evidence does not support the alleged commission of any crime, all such accused must be dutifully exonerated and have all rights and privileges fully restored, if any were previously enjoined,”
Cummings mentioned. “For me, as it must remain for our society, all accused persons must be presumed innocent until guilt is proved. Justice requires this, and further requires that democratic governments provide the affordable access for such speedy determination of guilt or innocence.”
However, he’s not the primary Liberian politician searching for to work with TRC indictees. President George Weah at present has a number of in his authorities — finally tying his fingers to implement the TRC report. Former Vice President Joseph Boakai, who can also be eyeing the Presidency, additionally endorsed the assist of TRC indictee like Benoni Urey in the direction of his Presidential bid.
Meanwhile, Cummings, who can also be the Stander Bearer of the Opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), has pledged his dedication of ending impunity, saying, “if we do not seek justice for all, we risk ourselves and our children to continue to head in the wrong direction which ultimately will lead to the eventual breakdown of our society and collapse of our nation.”
He added that change is tough however actual Change is even more durable; and {that a} mistaken doesn’t change into proper as a result of “we continue to repeat it. Difficult as it may be for all of us, if we do not commit to doing the right things the right way. In the end, laws are not just good because we write them. Laws are good because we enforce them equally on all of us.” credit score: Daily Observer Online
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