PHOTO: Ex-LURD rebel general Diah
By Augustine Octavius,
The former rebel General, who is at the center of the allegation of killing virgins for senior officials of government for sacrifice has denied involvement in any ritualistic activities.
On Monday, the former Liberia Aviation Authority Director General, Ellen Conkrum, alleged that Ophoree Diah was hired by Solicitor General, Syrenus Cephas and a number of officials of government purposely to provide heads of virgins for ritualistic sacrifice.
Addressing a press conference in Monrovia, Ophoree Diah claimed that Ellen Conkrum apparently resolved to tarnish his name and those of other personalities simply because he defeated her mother in a legal battle over a truck.
According to Mr. Diah, he gave a diamond worth over 200,000 United States Dollars to Ellen Conkrum to establish a mining company.
He explained that the plan for the company was disrupted when she was found guilty of duping the small business administration of 7.9 million United States Dollars in the State of Georgia in pay check protection program.
According to Diah, following her guilty plea, she has been tarnishing his name and those of personalities purposely to retrieve the truck as his share of the company and taking into consideration of jeep and caterpillar that her mother took into her custody The former rebel general displayed a number of documents of money transferred for the purchase of the truck, jeep and caterpillar through the Western Union.
Diah also showed to the newspublictrust.com copies of the article of corporation , the business registry, notary certificate and documents for the purchase of the jeep.
“But, to my surprise,” he went on, “ Ellen Conkrum put the name her mother for the purchase of the truck , jeep and caterpillar and received the caterpillar and truck from the dealer while I was in the gold mine in Grand Gedeh County.”
Diah also played a number a number of recordings of conversations held between Ellen and him so as to justify the business and transactions on the establishment of company
During the interview, Ophoree Diah played a all the recorded audio of the conversation between Ellen Conkrum and him most of which centered on the transfer of money centered on the registration and the establishment of the company, purchase of equipments and some on the payment of lawyer,
Documents Diah displayed
According to Diah, as a Christian, his religion forbids him from making sacrifice , not to talk about using human being or cows for sacrifice.
“If I am to do sacrifices for senior of officials of government, I will not be living this style which I find myself today but it is intended to tarnish my name and entangle my relationship.”
During a radio talk show in Monrovia, Madam Conkrum ,who has earlier promised to provide recordings of the conversation for the procurement of the heads of three virgins, has failed to provide them un to press time
Conkrum fled the on two occasions with the first in the administration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf after been accused of embezzlement while she was serving as the Liberia Airport Authority Director General
Before leaving, Madam Conkrum secretly recorded several officials of government including the former police chief Chris Massaquio, former Defense Minister Brownie Samukai among others.
When President George Waeh was inaugurated , she returned but left clandestinely after tip off that she was about to be arrested for charges of corruption and theft of property.
Rebel general’s background
Ophoree Diah came to prominence during the Liberian civil war when he was general in the Liberia United for Reconstruction and Democracy (LURD), an armed group credited for accelerated the demise of regime of former President Charles Taylor
Few years later, he was arrested for cross border raid into Ivory Coast during the post-elections crisis there and sentenced to ten years imprisonment.
Following his release, he has been involved in business especially in the extractive sector in Grand Gedeh County, his home region.