Smith gives Spoon Network 72 hours to retract slanderous statements

The former acting director-general of the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) has given Spoon Network 72 hours to retract and correct all slanderous statements made against him during his stewardship at LISGIS.

Smith was dismissed by President George Weah for “administrative reasons” along with Alex Williams, who was deputy director-general for statistics and data processing, on 14 November.

In a November 30, 2022 letter addressed to Spoon chief executive officer Stanton Witherspoon, Smith’s legal counsel recalled how his client became a victim of a systematic campaign from June-November 2022 to defame his name by alleging that he stole and personally converted funds from the national population and housing census (NHPC).

Cllr. Arthur Johnson reminded Witherspoon about how Smith was repeatedly labeled and stigmatized as a criminal on several broadcasts on Spoon Talk, which is aired live on social media and radio networks under their control and is followed by thousands of people nationally and internationally.  

“This charge is untrue and deceptive, and its sole purpose is to tarnish his character for reasons best known to you. Your actions constitute defamation of character and cause him emotional suffering and mental anguish.

“Some of the specifics of your slanderous statements are indicated below:

i) You labeled Mr. Wilmot Smith as someone who had converted funds intended for the NHPC into his personal use. This statement of yours is untrue. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and steering committee international partners disputed your account on November 11, 2022, and cautioned Liberians not to politicize the census; additionally, on October 24, 2022, the UNFPA called on the Liberians to ignore your recording, which falsely accused our client.

“ii) You allowed and facilitated on your Spoon TV and internet communication networks that Mr. Wilmot Smith conspired with Minister Samuel D. Tweah to open a secret foreign account in the Republic of Ivory Coast in an Ecobank account. This statement is also untrue because Ecobank debunked your slanderous assertions against Mr. Smith, which appeared in FrontPageAfrica newspaper Vol.16 No.215, dated Monday, November 21, 2022.

“iii) For the nature of the work you do, the heart of the platform you own and control, civilized norms require that you seek clarification from a party that is being accused of forming a balance in informing your thousands of listeners because social stigmatization has the propensity to cause irreparable injuries to the person causing reputational damages and emotional distress, mental anguish, pains, and sufferings,” Cllr Johnson explained.

He said civilized norms demand that people publicly apologize to correct the errors that have caused irreparable injuries.

Cllr. Johnson said his letter is intended to enable Spoon to repent for their wrongful conduct.

“Under Liberian law, when you orally accuse a person of the commission of an indictable criminal offense, and that statement is untrue, it is considered slander perse.

“Cyber bullying and many internet acts that seek to defame, embarrass, and injure people’s reputations are considered cybercrimes in Liberia and many parts of civilized communities worldwide, including where you live [in the United States of America].

“Given the above, you are ordered to retract and correct your slanderous statement within 72 hours, and your failure to do so will compel us to exercise the legal options necessary to remedy these wrongful actions of yours,” he concluded.

Spoon network has declined to comment on Smith’s threats to seek legal redress for alleged defamation of character. -Press Release