‘Pay-for-Play’; PYJ Wants Reward for Political Alliance

Crime Watch

‘Pay-for-Play’; PYJ Wants Reward for Political Alliance

—– As MDR Threatens CDC Ahead of the 2023 Election

IPNEWS: As if Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson, sees the U.S. Treasury sanction Global Magnitsky Act, brought against him for a joke, the former rebel general has once again embarked upon his usual scheme of ‘pay-for-play’, with the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

The Global Magnitsky Act authorizes the US government to sanction persons or groups of persons deemed as human rights offenders, including seizures of assets, and ban them from entering the US.

In 2021, Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson was accused by the US government of engaging in large-scale corruption — a pay-for-play scheme with government ministries and organizations for personal enrichment.

According to the US Treasury Department, Senator Johnson was part of a scheme in which the Senator, upon receiving funding from the “Government of Liberia, the involved government ministries and organizations, laundered a portion of the funding for the return to the involved participants.”

“As a senator, Johnson has been involved in pay-for-play funding with government ministries and organizations for personal enrichment;”

“As part of the scheme, upon receiving funding from the government of Liberia, the involved government ministries and organizations launder a portion of the funding for the return to the involved participants.” The U.S. Treasury Department statement read.

Following the actions by the US, “All property and interests in property of the three individuals that are in the US or in the possession or control of US persons must be blocked and reported to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).”

In addition, persons who engage in certain transactions with the designated individual’s risk also being exposed to sanctions or subject to enforcement action, the Treasury said.

Now, Senator Prince Y. Johnson is up to another scheme to siphon money for personal and collective enrichment.

In a purported statement circulating on social media over the weekend which has now become evident, the current Nimba County Senator, recounted since November 2017, an agreement signed with the Congress For Democratic Change to give his MDR party political support for financial and other gains.

The statement which is now corroborated by Senator Prince Y. Johnson’s Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), says the MDR agreed with President George Manneh Weah’s CDC for top Ministerial posts, Managing Directors and some ambassadorial positions in Nimba County.

Sen. Johnson stated that since the agreement was concluded to appoint sons and daughters from Nimba County to occupy top positions through our recommendations, his MDR or Nimba county is yet to see sons and daughters from Nimba County in those top senior positions since 2018.

“The citizens of Nimba have for the past five years been knocking at my door for the president to appoint them, and we have used all diplomatic means and have consistently engaged this CDC lead government, but nothing is working in order to get redress and make our people who struggled during the campaign period happy!”

“Once again, my fellow citizens of Nimba and supporters in Liberia and around the World, we like to take this time to inform you that the agreement we signed with the CDC has come to an end! So, for and on behalf of the great people Nimba and all partisans of the MDR Political Party, we are now constrained to make this pronouncement that we are “HALTING OUR POLITICAL SUPPORT” to the Coalition!” The MDR Political leader Prince Johnson stated.

Dangerously, the former rebel murderer warned President Weah that he does not like ‘betrayal’.

Prince Y. Johnson: “As a former general in the army, we believe in agreement and don’t like to betray what we have agreed upon, so we ask you to remain calm until we can later inform you about where to go.”

The concurrence of the once-seen purported Prince Johnson statement on social media by the MDR over the weekend has now confirmed the U.S. Treasury sanction under the Global Magnitsky Act.

In the statement issued by MDR, the party threatened to halt all ‘POLITICAL SUPPORT’ to the Coalition for Democratic Change.

Political pundits view Senator Prince Y. Johnson’s statement as not only placing a dent on CDC’s chances for the much-publicized 2023, Presidential and Legislative Elections, but places Sen. Johnson in a state of dilemma for war crimes prosecution following the elections in 2023.

It may be recalled; Senator Prince Y. Johnson was sanctioned by the U.S. Government for alleged corruption. The sanctions against Johnson come under the Global Magnitsky Act, which authorizes the U.S. government to sanction those it sees as human rights offenders, freeze their assets, and ban them from entering the U.S.

The former rebel General is responsible for the slaying in 1990 of President Samuel Doe, who had been captured by his forces during the country’s 14-year civil war. Johnson sipped beer as he watched his men torture and mutilate Doe who begged in vain for mercy in a widely circulated video.

U.S. Envoy Sounds Serious Warning

Addressing journalists recently during Ambassador Michael A. McCarthy’s opening Remarks at Press Roundtable with Acting Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs Elizabeth Trudeau during her visit to Monrovia, noted that those engaged in certain transactions with these sanctioned individuals “May themselves be exposed to sanctions or subject to an enforcement action”.

The U.S. Ambassador who was very serious, also said unless an exception applies, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction for any of the individuals or entities could be subject to U.S. sanctions.

Stressing further, Ambassador said “I think it’s important to draw our attention back to the Treasury Department’s statement, specifically its notification that persons that engage in certain transactions with these sanctioned individuals may themselves be exposed to sanctions or subject to enforcement action.

This applies not only to those who transact with these three individuals but also with the other two individuals sanctioned.”

Destiny of Sanctioned Officials Up to Liberia

Addressing the media recently, US Ambassador Michael McCarthy voiced deep dissatisfaction with the Government of Liberia for failing to investigate and prosecute past and current officials sanctioned for “corruption.”

McCarthy’s criticism comes as three of President George Weah’s former officials, who were sanctioned by the US for alleged “public corruption”, are yet to be investigated as promised by the President in August.

“It’s true that the sanctioned officials never had their day in court but it’s very important for them to be held accountable,” McCarthy said at a press conference in the presence of the visiting US Acting Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, Elizabeth Trudeau on November 14. “I am disappointed that nothing is going to happen? That’s really up to the Liberian people to decide. We feel very confident that if anyone did a real investigation, they will find the evidence.”

“Look at what the Treasury Department said about them. There were specifics about some of the allegations. So we don’t want them in America spending stolen money, and if it’s there, we’re going to freeze it.  But it is up to processes in Liberia.” 

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