The political leader and standard-bearer of the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC), Mr. Alexander B. Cummings says, he will not be deterred by the actions of Mr. Benoni Urey’s All Liberian Party (ALP) to file action of forgery and criminal conspiracy against him.
“This action will leave us undeterred. We are determined to run the political course to make our case to the Liberian people to make president Weah a one-term President,” Mr. Cummings told the BBC on Monday in response to reports of the writ of arrest issued against him.
He also argued that the action taken against him by Mr. Urey is political and is meant to discredit him 18 months away from the 2023 general and presidential elections.
Cummings also insists that there is absolutely no basis for the allegations that have been made against him and the ANC.
The Monrovia City Court on Monday, January 3, 2022, issued a writ of arrest against Mr. Cummings after a complaint was filed before it against the ANC leader by Mr. Urey of the ALP, alleging forgery and criminal conspiracy.
Mr. Urey’s ALP which announced plans to break away from the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) comprising the ANC, ALP, Unity Party (UP) and the Liberty Party (LP), through its National Chairman Mr. Theodore Momo, filed a complaint before the City Court accusing Mr. Cummings of allegedly committing forgery and criminal conspiracy. The Court subsequently issued the arrest order against Mr. Cummings Monday, 3 January 2022.
Mr. Urey who served as CPP’s first chairman has for several months alleged that the ANC’s political leader Mr. Cummings tampered with the CPP framework agreement and unlawfully attached his (Mr. Urey’s) signature to a photocopy version of what was purported to be an approved version of the CPP framework agreement by all parties in the CPP.
But Mr. Cummings who has repeatedly dismissed this allegation told the BBC that at no time did he and others conspired to alter the said framework paper.
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“We did not conspire or alter the framework document. The document was reviewed and approved by all political parties and so the allegations are completely unfounded,” Mr. Cummings explained.
The former Coco-Cola Executive argued that the allegations being levied against him are politically motivated and that Mr. Urey is being used by the Government.
Cummings “I don’t understand the basis of these allegations. They’re unfounded and I believe perhaps they’re political and I believe perhaps unfortunate Mr. Urey is being used by the Government because a united opposition makes it more difficult for President Weah to replace himself.”
Mr. Cummings touching on the alleged amended document queried as to why he would want to alter a document that equally affects him as it does everybody else within the collaboration.
“This is why this is baseless. It is actually political. But we will when we actually receive the writ as a legal-abiding citizen. We will make ourselves available to whatever the processes are as per our lawyers’ recommendation.
However, Mr., Cummings maintained that the action by Mr. Urey to fracture the CPP is not going to work. He said the rest of the CPP members are determined to build a coalition that likely will not include Mr. Urey’s party to take on President Weah.
“I am confident given the president’s performance and given the viable alternative, the Liberian people will make President Weah a one-term president and we are committed…” Said Cummings.
Meanwhile, in the writ of arrest, the court commands its officers to arrest the living bodies of Mr. Alexander B. Cummings and others to be identified and have them brought before the Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice to answer to the crimes of forgery and criminal conspiracy.
The court said based upon the writ and complaints filed by the Republic of Liberia through the All Liberian Party, substantial allegations were made, noting that during the period of May 2020 and including July 2020, the defendants purposely connived, conspired and jointly altered the CPP framework document of the CPP.
The court noted further that the defendants deceived the private prosecutor and the public regarding the content and averments of the documents.
The court said the alleged act of the defendants being unlawful, wicked, criminal, illegal and intentional, is in violation of Section 15.70 and 2 of the New Panel Law of Liberia. By Othello B. Garblah and Lincoln Peters
