In December 2021, the United States Department of Treasury sanctioned Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson for what they term his involvement in corruption activities in Liberia.
The US Treasury Department wrote: “Prince Yormie Johnson is a former warlord and current member of the Liberian Senate. He is the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Security, Defense, Intelligence, and Veteran Affairs. In 1990, he was responsible for the murder of former Liberian President Samuel Doe, and Johnson is named in Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Report as having committed atrocities during the country’s first civil war.
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 (GOL), the involved government ministries and organizations launder a portion of the funding for return to the involved participants. The pay-for-play funding scheme involves millions of U.S. dollars. Johnson has also offered the sale of votes in multiple Liberian elections in exchange for money.
Johnson is designated pursuant to E.O. 13818 for being a foreign person who is a current or former government official, or a person acting for or on behalf of such an official, who is responsible for or complicit in, or has directly or indirectly engaged in, corruption, including the misappropriation of state assets, the expropriation of private assets for personal gain, corruption related to government contracts or the extraction of natural resources, or bribery.”
Fast forward in November 2022, United States Embassy accredited near Monrovia, Michael McCarthy ahead of the 2023 presidential and legislative elections in Liberia, the warned individuals and financial institutions against doing business with former and current officials of the Government of Liberia (GOL) who have been sanctioned by its Treasury Department.
The former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel McGill, Solicitor General Syrennius Cephus and the Director of the National Port Authority (NPA) Bill Twehway were sanctioned for acts of corruption. The sanctions fall under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
Others sanctioned include: Senators Varney Sherman and Prince Johnson of Grand Cape Mount and Nimba counties respectively.
Despite the sanctions imposed on him, Mr. McGill has been aligning with former and current government officials to support his candidacy for a seat in the Liberian Senate, while Senators Sherman and Johnson are also seeking re-election.
Senator Prince Johnson and George Weah Fall Apart
Quite recently Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson told Liberians and the world that his Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) was ending its alliance with George Weah’s Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) because Weah has not given top positions to qualified citizens of Nimba County who voted him to power, but rather junior minister positions among others.
Senator Johnson in his outburst stated that President Weah did not keep his promise to the people of Nimba County, therefore he (Senator Johnson) was calling on his kinsmen not to vote for the CDC and President Weah in the pending October 2023 elections.
In response, President Weah said the Nimba County was trying to blackmail him to extort money from him, and that he was not prepared to give him any money. President Weah said despite the development took to Nimba County, Senator Johnson has engaged on a move for personal gains.
Senator Prince Johnson Seeks Safe Haven as He Visits UP Boakai
On Thursday, February 16 social media was bustling with reports that former Vice President Joseph Boakai and Nimba County senator, Prince Y. Johnson met at the home of the opposition Unity Party (UP) in the Rehab Community in Paynesville.
According to the reports, Senator Johnson’s visit is with the intended to seek a safe haven, having being sanction by the US Treasury and warned that nobody should business with them, amid reportedly being neglected by the ruling CDC government of President Weah.
Senator Johnson, a former gorilla combat fighter, a seasoned warlord, politician-turned-overnight- preacher, has been regarded as a kingmaker in previous elections held in Liberia since 2005.
In 2005, the former warlord following his return to Liberia from exile where he had sought refuge having been over-run by Charles Taylor rebel National Patriotic Forces of Liberia (NPFL) during the infamous 1992 attack on Monrovia, decided to join former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s Unity Party and contest for one of the Senatorial seats in Nimba County.
But when the former warlord lost the primary, he decided to go independent and subsequently won with landslide in Nimba County, due to what his kinsmen described as protecting them during the Liberian civil war.
In the 2005 presidential runoff, Senator-elect Prince Y. Johnson gave his support to Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) candidate George Weah, but UP’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won the runoff to become Liberia and Africa’s first elected female president. In 2011, Senator Johnson then switched allegiance and supported Mrs. Sirleaf’s Unity Party as she won her 2nd term with Joseph Boakai still continuing as her Vice President.
In 2017, the game changed as Prince Y. Johnson decided to support opposition leader, George Weah and former Senator Jewel Howard Taylor, an election they eventually won overwhelmingly defeating the incumbent Unity Party, this time headed by Joseph Boakai who had become its standard bearer after 12 years serving as Vice President.
In 2017 despite former Vice President Boakai visiting Senator Prince Johnson to seek his support, the Nimba Senator chose George Weah’s CDC.
With the 2023 October elections being critical to Liberia, Senator Johnson is said to be seeking to support any opposition presidential candidate that might assure him of protection with calls by many Liberians for the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia for reported atrocities committed during the 14-year civil war.
There have been reports that the CDC government had been reneging to ask the international community to support the War and Economic Crimes Court due to Senator Johnson reportedly playing a key role to have Weah elected in 2021.
It is not however known, whether Senator Prince Johnson has any intention to visit another key opposition forerunner for the presidential election in October, Alexander Cummings as the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) political leader and standard bearer has publicly called for the establishment of the War and Economic Crimes Court for alleged atrocities committed during the 14-year civil war.
Reports say Senator Johnson who was sanctioned by the U.S Treasury for engaging in pay-for play act for personal gains at the detriment of his Nimba kinsmen, dashed by the ruling Party and was described as blackmailer by President Weah is politically tie knots with Boakai’s Unity Party.
Unconfirmed reports had it that the pair discussed wide range of issues, including running mate slot, coalition possibilities and distribution of jobs if all goes well. The meeting was fruitful and held at the Home of the former VP Joe, according to the reports.
