The Chief Executive Officer of Voice of Liberia, Sekou Sheriff, has petitioned the Liberia National Police and the 54th National Legislature seeking their interventions into death threat over his life by a Lebanese business tycoon, Ali Kobeissi.
The broadcast Liberian journalist was escorted through a peaceful match by hundreds of citizens from the Capitol By-Pass to the headquarters of the LNP and the Capitol Building presented separate petitions to the two national authorities on Thursday.
At the LNP headquarters and on the grounds of the Capitol Building, Mr. Sheriff narrated that he sought and obtained classified documentations and collaborative testimonies from whistle-blowers and that the information linked some foreign businesses to an alleged criminal syndicate thereby defrauding the Liberian government of money in taxes.
Journalist Sheriff noted that in an attempt to seek clarification and to authenticate the documents linking some of those businesses, he communicated with some of the managers of the businesses in question who have since denied the allegations.
“While the investigative process was ongoing, I received a telephone call on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 from a man who identified himself as Ali Kobeissi, claiming to be the owner of the building material center. During the telephone conversation, Ali mandated me to immediately abandon my ongoing investigation or risk losing my life,” he averred.
He indicated that what got him so terrified is that, during the telephone conversation, Ali reminded him on multiple occasions to record the conversation.
The Voice of Liberia CEO stated that Ali advised him not to take his threats lightly, bragging that he is connected to all the top-ranking officials of government and that nothing will come out of any complaint filed against him (Ali).
“Since that day, Ali calls me almost daily to remind me about the threat. (An audio of the call is available). During his most recent call a few days ago, he reminded me that from his BMC store to my office was very short and he could get to me whenever he wanted, Sheriff complained.
“I humbly seek your intervention as the people’s deputies to ensure my safety and that justice is serve immediately in this grave matter as I honestly don’t know the next move of Ali against my life,” Sekou Sheriff told the Legislature.
According to him, information in the public shows that the Lebanese national is the only foreign national riding a vehicle with siren and it is alleged that he has a gun in his possession.
“Being worried about the threats against my life, I immediately wrote to the Liberia National Police, the National Commission on Human Rights and other institutions on February 10, 2023, bringing to their attention the threats from Ali,” the statement said.
At the same time, Sekou Sheriff intoned that despite the Liberia National Police’s responsibility to maintain law and order as well as ensure safety, they are yet to investigate this matter and added that the delay on the part of the police to investigate the matter clearly shows that the LNP does not have interest in his life.
“I viewed the conduct of the Police as a deliberate attempt to protect a foreign national over a Liberian who has done nothing wrong to deserve such a threat,” he intimated.
The broadcast journalist noted that in the midst of the reported number of questionable deaths that have occurred in Liberia over the last few years, he is constrained to remind the Police that his life is in the hands of the LNP as they delay in investigating the matter.
“Just as Ali said, I am now beginning to believe that nothing will be done to ensure justice but let us use this petition to let the world know that my safety going forward rests on the shoulders of Ali and the Liberia National police because as I stand here, I honestly don’t know the next move of Ali against my life,” Sheriff stressed.
He said the country has a long history of repression of the media, adding that this dates back to autocratic regimes before the war where many perceived journalists as people who should accept attacks and are victimized as an accompaniment of the profession deemed as risky.
The broadcast journalist added that upon the coming in of the Coalition for Democratic Change-led Government in 2018, President George Weah renewed his government’s commitment to uphold the tenets of press freedom and the protection of journalists after signing into law, the Kamara Abdullah Kamara (KAK) Act of Press Freedom.
“The KAK Act of Press Freedom also strengthens and actualizes Liberia’s commitment to several legal instruments signed onto, such as Freedom of Information Act, the Table Mountain Declaration and many others,” he recalls.
Meanwhile, receiving the petition, Nimba County District 4 Representative, Gunpue L. Kargon, promised to deliver the petition to Speaker Bhofal Chambers with assurance that his communication will surface on the floor of plenary next Tuesday, February 21, 2023 for discussion and subsequent action.
The Nimba County lawmaker, who is also the Chair on the House’s Committee on Claims and Petitions termed himself as the face of the young people as such, he will ensure that the death threat against the Liberian broadcast journalist is looked into by plenary.
At the same time, while receiving the petition on behalf of the Liberia National Police, the LNP Commissioner Unit 105, Prince Davies also assured Sheriff that the communication will be forwarded to the Police Inspector General, Col. Patrick Sudue.
Commissioner Davies thanked the broadcast journalist and the citizens for peacefully and orderly conducting themselves in seeking redress of their concerns.
