Liberia’s Ambassador to London, Gurly Gibson Schwarz, has notify the management of The Inquirer Newspaper regarding its May 23, 2022 edition under the headline, “Corruption, Toxic Work Environment at Liberia Embassy in London.”
In what was expected to have been a rebuttal, the Ambassador chose to rant at the institution and describe the publication as false, harmful and defamatory about her and other employees at the Embassy of Liberia in London, United Kingdom thereby calling on the paper to desist and refrain from defaming her character.
The paper having acknowledged the communication from the Liberian diplomat, the management made several efforts through which it expressed willingness to provide Amb. Schwarz the same space provided she is willing to provide her side of the story with clarity but that has failed to materialize since May 24, 2022.
The paper narrated a story about a two-year old investigation surrounding public corruption, bribery, unhealthy working practice and procedure and other illicit activities at the Liberian Embassy in London with information gathered from current and former employees which at some point stated dates and instances.
The Ambassador instead catalogued the information claiming that they are all false and misrepresented with the specific prongs outlining that, “I the Ambassador, a subject of your investigation, operate a criminal enterprise at the embassy, that I and other subjects of your investigation at the embassy changed the visa stamp at the mission for corrupt purposes to support our foreign friends, that a subject of your investigation who is related to me secretly installed monitoring software on the embassy’s computers and other hidden video cameras to monitor the movement and activities of employees at the embassy, that another subject of your investigation who is an embassy’s employee is my conduit for illegal sale of Liberian passports to foreigners, and that I the Ambassador am in the practice of firing experienced foreign service staff to replace them with inefficient individuals who are loyal to me;” yet she failed to address the allegations or issues raised by her staff having gotten the privilege to get her side of the story published if she had so desired.
The Liberian diplomat claimed that the publication’s outright lies and misrepresentation, false claims, and reporting has severely damaged the good reputation and character she fought hard to build over decades adding, “I have an impeccable character beyond reproach that stands out- serving my country as a Foreign Service official for almost twenty years with a clean record.”
Without calling on her staff to correct the information or set the record straight by allowing an interview to provide clarity as to what is actually obtaining at that embassy, Amb. Schwarz threatened, “I am giving your newspaper an opportunity to course correct its libelous publication against my reputation. I demand with immediate effect that you cease and desist from your unlawful defamation against me and the other subjects of your investigative reporting.”
“You are hereby directed to issue a retraction of your May 23, 2022, erroneous and biased publication within 10 days of the written above. Your failure to act accordingly within the time specified with lead me to pursue all available legal remedies that include seeking monetary damages, injunctive relief, and an order that your newspaper pays court costs and attorney fees,” the Ambassador reiterated her threats.
The article for which this paper had been threatened is on the alleged corruption and toxic work environment for which a call was made to the government to initiate an immediate investigation into reports gathered from the Embassy of Liberia located in the Court of Saint James in London, England.
The investigation covered current and former employees who preferred not to be named for fear of retaliation by Ambassador Schwarz which bordered on allegations of a criminal enterprise at the embassy among others.
The allegation named Ambassador Schwarz who is the sister of Liberia’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Bhofal Chambers along with her husband, Herald Schwarz, a German national whom according to our sources, practically oversees the daily operations at the Embassy and has been hired as a consultant at the embassy.
According to information gathered that, Herald Schwarz, also an IT professional, changed the internet server at the embassy and installed surveillance cameras and monitoring software on the embassy’s computers and uses these devices to monitor the daily activities of staff at the embassy.
Other allegations that need the government’s attention according to our previous publication was the change on the visa stamp and sticker at the embassy; tracking mechanism to ensure accountability and whether or not Mr. Schwarz is in possession of a Liberian diplomatic passport and sits in high-level embassy meetings.
The publication is still interested in understanding from the ambassador who Mr. Sekou Kaba is and his role at the embassy; who is negotiating and arranging the sale of Liberian passports to foreigners as well as airport access cards to escort diplomats and who acts in the absence of the ambassador?
In the wake getting all the allegations sorted so that every side get a benefit and the public is properly informed, the institution remains unbiased, credible, opened and committed to carrying all sides of stories especially those bordering on ‘characters’ and that has been this paper’s ideology for which it sees no reason to taunt anyone’s character or defame anyone as insinuated by the ambassador at the Liberian Embassy in London, Madam Schwarz.
