Liberia: Front Page Africa taken to Court over bribery publication

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The office entrance of Front page Africa newspaper[photo: Lennart Dodoo]

By Garmah Lomoh|LPR News, Temple of Justice Monrovia

One of Liberia’s leading Newspaper Front Page Africa through it managing Editor Rodney D. Sieh has been sued by the Sinoe County Senator Milton Teahjay over publication of bribery.

Senator Teahjay is serving as chairman of the Senate standing Committee on Autonomous agencies in the Liberian Senate of the National Legislature of the Republic of Liberia.

The law sue comes following a mobile phone interview conducted by Front Page Africa legislative reporter Henry Karmo with Senator Teahjay which was recently published.

In a thirteen counts complain filed by his legal Counselor Arthur T. Johnson to six Civil law court said, count one of the complain which says plaintiff has always conducted himself in the manner and form desires and required of him as a Senator and law abiding person and well as a political leadership in the Republic of Liberia and the world at large.

Cllr. Johnson argued that his client has  earned and won for himself the dignity accolade and reputation of his home in the political dispensation of Liberia many years to present which factored his presence in the Honorable house of Senate of the National Legislature of Liberia.

That the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants are engaged in media business and profession in the republic of Liberia that they have acquired a huge audience both in Liberia and the international communities for which reports emanating from them are affectionately believe if not total believed by people of the outside world and Liberia in general.

Plaintiff says that reasons best known to defendants jointly and severally but certainly injurious to plaintiff the Front Page Africa newspaper a print and electronic on Friday July 10,2020, with “reckless” disregard for the truth and with intention of maliciously and wantonly maligning and defaming plaintiff jointly and severally and exposing plaintiff and his families and partners (I) local and international anger (ii) risk of injury to their persons death and grave injury to plaintiff reputation and political interest whenever situated locally and internationally published in the 1st defendant’s website a story captioned Liberia:

Senator Teahjay Removed from Committee Over Suspicious of Receiving US$20k Bribe to Confirm Cllr. Nwabudike.

In the reference story 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants alleged that plaintiff received bribe for Cllr. Ndubusi Nwabudike.

 According to the Defendants Front Page Africa gathered that Senator Teahjay was removed in allegation of receiving US $20,000 from Cllr. A. Ndubusi Nwabudike when he was nominated as chairman of the National Election Commission.

The Senator however refused to confirm him based on inconsistency in his Citizenship information.

Meanwhile, the complainant through his legal Counselor Arthur T. Johnson prayed court to render judgement in their favor and if Front Page Africa is found liable, they should pay one million United States dollars as damages.