By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
Monrovia – Liberia former President George Weah has described as unsolicited and unwarranted, an apology statement from the Liberia National Police (LNP) claiming unprofessional conduct of officers attending the recent due payment program at the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) headquarters.
In a statement issued on late Monday, the LNP apologized to the CDC for any misunderstanding and inconvenience when some officers of the force were seen at the CDC Headquarters carrying arms.
“It has been observed that these officers appeared to be performing VIP protection duties – a role that falls primarily under the mandate of the Executive Protection Service (EPS), which is solely responsible for the protection of VIPs.”
“We extend our sincere apologies to the leadership of the Congress for Democratic Change for any misunderstanding or inconvenience this incident may have caused.” The LNP statement said.
But a statement from the office of Ex-President Weah said no complaint was lodged with the LNP regarding the conduct of security personnel at the event or any transgression for that matter.
“As such, the office of the former president views the LNP’s unsolicited apology as unwarranted and potentially harboring ulterior political and sinister motives.” The statement said.
The Ex-President office said contrary to the LNP’s claims, all security personnel who are assigned and designated by the state, tasked with protecting former President Weah, conducted themselves professionally throughout the peaceful and well-organized rally.
The office said it was at a loss as to why the LNP relied on social media and informal ‘reports’, rather than engaging directly with the office of the former President to verify allegations of misconduct.
“We wish to iterate our call for the Liberia National Police and other security agencies to strictly adhere to their professional mandates and avoid politicizing their roles.” The statement said.
While the former President remains law-abiding, he will not tolerate attempts by state entities to employ subterfuge or unprofessional tactics to engage in intimidation. All armed officers in former President Weah’s security detail are formally designated and deployed by the state.”
