The office of Lofa County, District 2 Representative, Julie Fartoma Wiah, has termed news story linking her to the embezzlement of a purported US$25, 000 meant for the construction of a clinic in her district as erroneous, egregious, libelous, and politically manipulated.
The office informs the people of Lofa and particularly her district that she has absolutely no knowledge and neither has she participated in any deliberation surrounding the appropriation of US$25, 000 for any health facility by the name ‘Nyekehun Community Clinic’ located in Nyekehun Town, Wahasa District.
According to her office, verification made with the Ministry of Health has established that the MOH has at no time allocated in the national budget said amount to any clinic called “Nyekehun Community Clinic, contrary to the malicious media report.
The office of Representative Fartoma-Wiah was shockingly drawn to the Wednesday edition, March 22, 2023 with an alarming caption: “In Electoral District 2 in Lofa County- Criminal Syndicate of a False Clinic uncovered …Citizens demand an explanation from Rep. Wiah.”
The story alleges that some residents of District 2 in Lofa had discovered a criminal syndicate of a false clinic placed within the National Budget under the Ministry of Health, but the said money has been siphoned by Rep. Wiah and the officials of MOH, adding that the intended purpose of such money has not been met.
What the office of the Representative finds astounding and disconcerting is the fact that the Heritage Newspaper intentionally failed to contact the lawmaker to ascertain her side of such a fallacious story which runs counter to the good ethics and values of journalism.
“Not contacting the lawmaker on such a grave allegation that impinges on her character clearly shows embedded motives on the part of the Heritage newspaper,” the office reiterated.
“While it is Mohammed Kanneh, Heritage Newspaper’s liberty to support whoever he favors, he must refrain from doing so under the pretext of journalism,” the office of Rep Wiah traded an accusation.
Meanwhile, the office of the lawmaker is calling on Mr. Kanneh to desist from his reckless, malicious, and irresponsible smear campaign at the expense of journalism and come to the political debate with a sense of professionalism, intellectualism, facts, and decency.
Representative Wiah has instructed her lawyers to issue a lawsuit against the Heritage News Newspaper for Libel and blackmail with the hope that justice will roll against unethical, disgraceful, and vicious journalism.
