Former rebel leader, now Senator Thomas Yaya Nimely of Grand Gedeh County, says he is prepared to face a war and economic crimes court if established because he is innocent of atrocities that were committed during Liberia’s civil war.
By Ethel A. Tweh
Monrovia, Liberia, March 6, 2024 – The leader of the defunct rebels Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), Senator Thomas Yaya Nimely of Grand Gedeh County, is optimistic about his innocence of war crimes here, saying that he is prepared to face a War Crimes Court if established because he will walk out a free man.
However, his colleague Senator Prince Yormie Johnson of Nimba County is vehemently opposed to the court’s establishment, threatening that he has supporters ready to unleash another round of terror if he, PYJ, is taken before such a court.
Sen. Jonshon is leader of the defunct rebels Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) that captured and killed President Samuel Doe in 1990.
Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, in his office at the Capitol, Senator Nimely said if the government of Liberia wants to make the establishment of War and Economic Crimes Courts a priority, that’s okay. Still, he thinks the administration should rather first rescue the country from economic hardship and poverty.
According to him, during the Liberian Civil War in the 90s, the people of Grand Gedeh were targeted and killed by former President Charles G. Taylor, so they sought refuge in Ivory Coast, and in 2002, Mr. Taylor pursued them there.
“No one was there to help our people; the Ivorians did not help us; we were left to fight for ourselves. I had to stand for my people and fought back”, he explained.
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President Joseph Nyuma Boakai is seriously contemplating establishing a war and economic crimes court and has already held discussions with former war crimes Prosecutor Dr. Alan White.
Dr. White served as Chief Prosecutor for the UN-backed Special Court of Sierra Leone in 2006 that tried and found guilty Ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor, who is presently serving a 50-year sentence in The Hague, for aiding and abetting RUF rebels in Sierra Leone.
However, Senator Nimely notes that the Boakai administration is barely two months in power and should instead focus on reducing the prices of basic commodities such as food and gasoline, among others, before thinking of bringing War and Economic Crimes courts to the country now.
He further argues that the government needs to address the needs of the people, and by its fourth year in power, it could embark on such an endeavor, but doing so now will spark noise in the country.
“I’m not afraid of War Crimes court; whether they jail me or not, I’ll still die, but I’ll go there and walk back freely,” he brags.
Members of the House of Representatives on Monday signed a resolution supporting the establishment of War and Economic Crimes courts for Liberia, as recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to prosecute people who committed heinous crimes and crimes against humanity, including economic crimes, during the nation’s turmoil.
But the Grand Gedeh Senator rebuffs that every member of the House has the ability to read and write, so some of them, he alleges, received US$1,000 each as a bribe and affixed their signatures to the resolution.
Meanwhile, the ex-rebel leader calls on President Joseph Boakai to recall Superintendent Alex Grant, who was recently nominated by the President.
He reveals that the people of Grand Gedeh are protesting the nomination, and the President should not be the one to force someone on the people that they don’t want.
He suggests that since President Boakai is pleased to have Mr. Grant work in his government, he could appoint him as an Assistant Minister or a Minister, but he should recall him because the people are not willing to work with him.
According to him, Grant, a former lawmaker of the county, was once linked to the disappearance of an electoral magistrate in Grand Gedeh, which brought serious conflict in 2021. Until now, there is still noise in the county.
“Let the President appoint someone who will unify the county, someone who the people will accept and work with. There are lots of young and vibrant people in the county who have BSc and even Master’s degrees that are willing to work”, he further recommends. Editing by Jonathan Browne
Will the WECC indict the USA for its role in the Civil War? The USA freed Charles Taylor to unleash he’ll on Liberia and Liberians.