Says Prosecution first Witness
By Lincoln G. Peters
Opposition All Liberian Party (ALP) Chairman Mr. Theodore Momo says there exist three versions of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) framework document that are currently in circulation in the public.
Mr. Momo has been on the witness stand on the side of the prosecution team since last week in the trial of the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC) political leader Alexander B. Cummings who faces charges of forgery and criminal facilitation.
He reaffirmed Monday, 28 February 2022 that there exist the original copies of the CPP framework agreement which are being requested by prosecutors, claiming that the defendant, Mr. Cummings and other CPP political leaders have copies.
During the hearing, prosecutors presented documents to Mr. Momo and he identified them to be the three versions of the CPP document he had mentioned.
He testified that the first document is the amended CPP framework document dated April 23, 2020, which was reviewed by the teams of lawyers with a recommendation to the Executive Committee for action.
The next document he testified to and confirmed was the document bearing the notarized certificate of July 14, 2020, with caption CPP Framework May 19, 2020, with the parties’ logos appearing at the bottom, saying it was the document that was filed with the National Elections Commission by Mr. Alexander Cummings and others.
Chairman Momo added that the document was never approved, validated and was never accepted by the parties when it was filed with the NEC by Mr. Cummings and his team.
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He said the original of those documents notarized on July 14, 2020, was never served to any of the parties before and after filing and is currently still with Mr. Cummings and his co-defendants.
According to him, a document captioned: “CPP Framework Document,’’ is the last document that is in circulation in the public.
“The document with the parties’ logos placed in the upper part of the front page captioned: “CPP Framework Document’’ is the last document which makes the version three,” he said.
ALP chairman explained that since the lawyers presented the amended copies to former CPP Chairman Cummings, to the best of his knowledge, they had no contact or engagement with the document.
He further indicated that the amended document which also forms part of the CPP investigative report and finding was referred to the lawyers for advice.
Momo indicated that the lawyers through Cllr. Benedict Sarnnoh wrote in response to a letter to Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, former chair of the CPP, indicating that as of the date and time of the presentation of the report, they have had no acquaintance, engagement, and contact with the amended document since it was presented to Cummings.
‘’The ALP, UP and LP learn that a framework document which they did not approve was filed with the NEC by Cummings and others,” Mr. Momo testified further.
“We raised the issues in several EC [Executive Committee] meetings but the ANC leadership through Mr. Cummings, [who] was succeeded by Senator Kangar-Lawrence persistently refused to serve copies of the document filed with NEC on behalf of the CPP,” Momo claimed.
Mr. Momo noted that they insisted that it was a matter of right and not a privilege to be served with the original copy of the organic law governing the CPP for which they were a member.
He noted that the ALP in protest disrupted an EC meeting because they did not see the necessity of participating in the meeting of the CPP when they were not in possession of the instrument that brought them together.
Mr. Momo noted that the issue was transferred to the EC during the leadership of Senator Kangar-Lawrence who requested Mr. Cummings to bring both May 19, 2020 and the original document filed with NEC. Momo said Cummings promised to produce the documents but again failed to deliver them to the other parties.
Mr. Cummings is on trial for criminal charges based on accusations by his fellow opposition leader Mr. Benoni Urey and the All Liberian Party that the accused and his ANC party allegedly tampered with the framework agreement of the Collaborating Political Parties and attached his (Urey’s) signature to a photocopy version.
Mr. Cummings has denied there exists any original CPP framework agreement other than what his accusers claim is a photocopy version and has instead challenged them to produce the original. He faces charges of forgery and criminal conspiracy, but he has denied any wrongdoing.
Witness Momo testified Wednesday, 23 February 2022 and claimed that the original “ Collaborating Political Parties’ Framework Document was given to Mr. Cummings when he took over as CPP chair.
He testified that after the four political leaders and their constituent party chairs signed the document at different locations due to Covid – 19 outbreak on 19 May 2020, five copies were made and delivered to then-Chairman Cummings for the purpose of notarizing all five copies and returning four of the signed copies to the CPP and the fifth to the National Elections Commission (NEC) for accreditation of the CPP.
He said those five copies were delivered to Mr. Cummings by Unity Party Chair Mo Ali.
According to him, the CPP documents are in the possession of Sen. Karnga – Lawrence (LP), Joseph Nyumah Boakai (UP), Benoni Urey (ALP) and Alexander B. Cummings (ANC).https://thenewdawnliberia.com/monrovia-cpp-original-framework-document-exists/
