Simeon Freeman pursues lawsuit

Opposition Movement for Progressive Change (MPC) political leader Simeon Freeman is being pursued with a lawsuit by Deepening Democracy Coalition (DDC), a group he is reported to have accused during the campaign season of soliciting money from him in order to participate in a presidential debate.

Appearing on a talk – show on Tuesday afternoon, 24 October, the head of the Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP) Mr. Marcon Joseph said the DDC would pursue the case to ensure that the MPC political leader proves his false assertions made against DDC’s leadership.
“We will follow up our case to a logical conclusion at the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court to ensure that the MPC political leader proves his false assertions made against the organizers of the presidential debate”, Mr. Joseph says.

Also speaking on the talk – show, DDC official Atty. Lamin Kpagoi vowed that “Mr. Freeman will be made to realize that you don’t just say things to people when they are false”.The group says it has already filed a lawsuit before the Civil Law Court at the Temple of Justice on Capitol Hill against Mr. Freeman.

The lawsuit comes after claims allegedly made by Mr. Freeman that the DDC requested from the MPC the sum of US$10,000 to participate in a DDC – sponsored presidential debate at the University of Liberia (UL). The group claims in its complaint before the Court that on Tuesday, 26 September, it wrote communication to Mr. Freeman demanding proof of extortion levied against the organizers of the presidential debate.

According to the group, Mr. Freeman’s assertions against the DDC were malicious, and exposed the group to public ridicule. They complain that the action of Mr. Freeman defames their professional characters and harm their relations with donor and partners, among others. This paper has made contact at Mr. Freeman’s office on the matter, but there has been no official reaction from him on the latest assertions by the DDC.

By Emmanuel Mondaye–Edited by Winston W. Parley