Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson has admitted to a leaked audio in which he maligned the character of the county’s District#1 lawmaker Jeremiah Koung.
In the audio, Senator Johnson said he is a principle-minded person that people must study. “Jeremiah Koung, who is in my party, I have not come to the county to tell people I support him — no. Principally, I’ll tell you this: to be too damn greedy is not good.
“We elected Jeremiah Koung in 2017 up to now why will he want to contest against Tom Grupee for example? Why does he want to contest against everybody?” he was heard in the leaked audio as saying.
Speaking via mobile phone on OK FM on Monday August 3, 2020 morning, Seantor Johnson said the audio is his voice but it was several months back and he now prepared to endorse the senatorial bid of Rep. Jeremiah Koung of District#1 Nimba County.
“I am supporting Jeremiah Koung because of his development in Nimba, and I can assure you he will be the next senator of the county”, he told OK FM’s Clarence Jackson.
He also admitted that he is not consistent a politician, validating many Nimbains claims that he is only using the name of Nimba to enrich himself.
Representative Jeremiah Koung of Electoral District #1, has in recent time embarked on the distribution of bags of cement, bundles of zinc, a prodigious amount of cash, while at the same time completing projects he touched during the 2017 election to cajole voters.
Rep. Koung in response to the leaked audio said he is not move by any detracters who want to tanish his good reputation with Senator Prince Johnson who he described as ‘political godfather’ of Nimba.
He boasted that the people of Nimba will overwhelmingly elect him and no candidate can stop his bid.
Sen. Prince Johnson, a former rebel general has boasted of his success in Nimba while at the same intimidating prominent residents who are vocal on his style of leadership.
Another leaked audio
In July 2020, a leaked audio in the possession of Liberia Public radio Senator Prince Johnson was heard fussing with former Deputy Education Minister Dr. Kardaykeh Dahn boasting that he has a millionaire Nigerian friend who is sponsoring his projects.
In a phone conversation in the Gio vernacular, the senator said he was the one who begged former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to employ Dr. Dahn to his then position at the ministry of Education but Kardaykeh Dahn angrily protested his claim in the same leaked phone conversation.
In that audio senator Prince Johnson accused Dr. Dahn of spreading falsehood against him [sen. Johnson] about using public money to enrich himself after he [Dr. Dahn] two years ago vowed not to criticize him again.
Inconsistency and bribery allegations
Ever since the former warlord turned politician Prince Y. Johnson has been at the center of controversies during major elections in Liberia.
In 2017, he was accused of taking bribe worth more than US$100,000.00 to endorse the candidacy of President George Manneh Weah, a claim he denies.
In the same year, Sen Prince Johnson was again accused of soliciting US$75,000.00 from businessman turned politician Benoni Urey to form coalition with his Movement for Democracy and Reconciliation Party (MDR) in the 2017 general and presidential elections.
