A group of Liberians based in the United States is planning to march on the US capital Washington in a rally to protest against the ongoing trial of Mr. Alexander B. Cummings, political leader of the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC) on January 27.
The group in an advertisement posted on social media say they are marching against the unprovoked and premeditated attacks on Mr. Cummings by “criminals who have evaded justice.
They claimed that the trial of Mr. Cummings is an assault on Liberia’s democracy. “We must march on Washington to heighten awareness,” the post added.
Though the main actors behind the planned rally are not yet known, but they are believed to be supporters of Mr. Cummings of the ANC.
This paper is also gathering from sources within the corridors of the ANC, that there will also be a planned march in Monrovia against the Cummings trial just before the Washington rally.
The ANC political leader is facing forgery and criminal conspiracy charges brought against him by Mr. Benoni Urey of the All Liberian Party (ALP) a former constituent member of the opposition bloc Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) at the Monrovia City Court.
On Monday January 3, 2022, Mr. Urey’s ALP filed a complaint before the Monrovia City Court accusing Mr. Cummings of allegedly committing forgery and criminal conspiracy, hours after he announced a pullout from the CPP.
The Court subsequently issued an arrest order against Mr. Cummings on 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 be an approved version of the CPP framework agreement by all parties in the CPP.
But after securing a criminal appearance bond to guarantee his release Tuesday, 4 January 2022, Mr. Cummings said the ALP political leader made a big mistake to have gone after him (Cummings).
The planned protest rally in Washington comes days after a US Congressman described the action filed against the Mr. Alexander B. Cummings as ‘trumped up charges’.
In a leaked WhatsApp chat room message published on social media by Mr. Mulbah Yorgbor, ANC’s Director of Communication, from Henry Costa of the Council of Patriots (COP), Costa is said to have quoted excerpts of the message purported to be from US Congressman Chris Smith’s Chief of Staff Riva Levinson that the charges against Mr. Cummings are trumped up.
The actual message was said to have emanated from the offices of Congressman Smith’s Chief of Staff to Liberia’s Ambassador to the US Mr. George Pattern informing him (Amb. Pattern) of an inquiry into the Cummings’ trial which suggest that the entire prosecution is based on trumped up charges.
The actual message reads: “Further to our conversation the other day, I have made some inquiries. The prosecution of Alexander Cummings on what appears to be trumped up charges has not been well-received. There is renewed interest in Nathaniel McGill, whom you know from our previous conversations there is a dossier on.
Now Benoni Urey and his daughter Telia have also attracted attention, as has the Solicitor General Cyrennius Cephas. I think people are also looking into the judge’s record, to see if he has a history of corruption. Just wanted to let you know, based on our relationship. Other than that, I hope you have a good weekend.”
According to information received by this paper, upon receipt of the message Amb. Pattern then forwarded same to Minister McGill.
The question as to how the message ended up at Costa is a debate for another day. This paper tried reaching out to Mr. McGill to verify the information but all attempts proved futile.
But in an earlier interview with FrontPage Africa Minister McGill refuted forwarding the message to Henry Costa, but admitted forwarding same to Mr. Benoni Urey, Solicitor General Cllr. Cyrennius Cephus and Maritime boss Lenn Eugene Nagbe.