By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The opposition People’s Liberation Party (PLP) has called on the United States government and the European Union to intervene into the decision taken by the Liberian government to prevent its political leader from bringing into the country and landing his helicopter at the Roberts International Airport (RIA).
The party and the government, through the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority, have been caught in rigmarole, making claims and counter claims over the saga.
The PLP claimed that its political leader, Dr. Daniel Cassell, through his company, Kwenyan and Associates, met all legal requirements and was given a permit by the LCAA for the helicopter to land in the country, but said permit was surreptitiously revoked for unknown reasons barely a day after the chopper attempted landing in the country.
Based on this back ground, the party took the matter to the Supreme Court of Liberia; but, the government initially denied issuing a permit for the helicopter to land into the country.
For its part, the LCAA noted that at no time did Kwenyan & Associates Group of Company request for landing permit to the LCAA for which, they filed a writ of prohibition.
According to the government, the company’s application for an air service license is still being reviewed by the LCAA in keeping with the regulations governing the Liberia Civil Aviation and relevant international laws and is pending the fulfillment of all the requirements,, a release issued by the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism stated.
But, in a communication addressed to the US Embassy and EU mission, the letter under the signature of the PLP’s political leader, claimed that the government bears the greatest responsibility to maintain peace and tranquility ensure good governance and respect for the rule of the law and civil liberties.
The party pointed out that for Liberia to remain stable and foster forward, fundamental democratic values must remain adhered to and never violated or compromised.
The letter indicated that despite the remarkable achievements made thus far in Liberia due to the numerous and immense contributions of Liberia’s international partners, the CDC led-government continues to engage into anti-democratic acts, including witch-hunting key political actors.
The PLP said: “we wish to bring to your attention the callous and brazen infringement of the rights of Dr. Daniel Cassell as a Liberian citizen and the utter gross disrespect of him as a major opposition leader.”
Accordingly, the media has reported, Dr. Cassell through his business firm, the Kwenyan and Associates Group of Companies, has lawfully acquired a helicopter to facilitate smooth and timely travels across the country and other parts of the region.
“The aircraft has met all due requirements in line with aviation standards and regulations put in place by the Liberian government,” the letter indicated
The party emphasized that contingent on the legal requirements fully met by the aircraft; both international and national clearances were obtained from the relevant authorities here in Liberia and abroad.
Regrettably, the PLP letter went on, that it obtained clearance and landing permit from the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority bearing the signatures of its authorities, the aircraft took off from South Africa on 5th October 2021 and was scheduled to arrive in Liberia at the RIA on 14th October 2021, when they shockingly received a ‘null and void’ notification while in Abidjan, the Ivory Coast.
The letter added that the helicopter was about to take off for Liberia-RIA that the aircraft cannot fly into Liberia with no justification whatsoever.
“Additionally,” the PLP letter explained , “ we would like to bring to your attention that the aircraft smoothly flew from South Africa to Abidjan-Ivory Coast squarely because it meets all international requirements consistent with aviation standards and regulations and was duly issued a landing permit by LCAA”.
The party maintained that in complying with the rule of law and in search of justice from the chambers of the judicial system, it took the matter to the Supreme Court.
The Honorable Associate Justice Yussif D. Kabba ordered the LCAA to allow the aircraft to land in Liberia pending the October 20th, 2021, court hearing.
“On 20 October 2021, we appeared in court with our Legal Counsel before his Honor Associate Justice Yussif D. Kabba, Justice-in-Chamber.”
“To the best of our collection, the LCAA was represented by Solicitor General Saymah Serenius Cephas.”
The party pointed out that its Legal Counsel argued on the merits of the available evidence adduced before the Supreme Court that the aircraft in question met all legal requirements for which it was permitted by the very LCAA to fly into Liberia, while the government lawyer, Solicitor General Cephas argued that Kweyan and Associates Group of Companies’ lawsuit against the LCAA was without merit because it didn’t follow the proper procedure.
Counselor Cephas pleaded that instead of the company, it should have been the managing company that transacted with the government to sue the LCAA.
“But the hard facts that can’t be refuted or brushed aside are that the aircraft has met all legal requirements to fly into Liberia and out of Liberia, and the aircraft is lawfully and rightfully owned by Kwenyan and Associates Group of Companies”.
The PLP informed the embassies of the United States and the European Union that at the close of the arguments, the Justice-in-Chambers Judge Kabba “sadly” ruled in favor of the LCAA and dened the aircraft from flying into Liberia.
“We wish to state with the highest degree of emphasis that the ruling of Justice Kabba is purely a travesty of justice and brought into question the integrity and independence of the judiciary, a branch of government that millions if not billions of donors’ money have been spent to ensure the independence and intelligence of the court system of Liberia”.
The party maintained that “truth be told, the ruling doesn’t represent the sacredness of the law, but it instead represents “Partisan Politics” something, we believe, the Court must distance itself from to the letter”.
The letter added that such blatant injustice perpetrated against a man only because he holds different political and fundamental views from those of the ruling establishment is not only “preposterous, detestable, and ridiculous, but a shameful act of gross intolerance that must be condemned by all Liberians and foreign friends alike”.
The party believes that the injustice, ill-treatment, and infringement of the constitutional rights its political leader , Dr. Cassell , has been subjected to is no doubt a “vicious attempt by the regime to rattle and ruffle him only because of his strong and courageous criticisms of the regime”.
“The point must be made, that Dr. Cassell and all Liberians reserve the right to bring into their country all the fine things of this world to make life desirable insofar they acquire it lawfully and meet all the legal requirements to do so”.
Meanwhile, the PLP is calling on the embassies of the US and the EU to intervene in a timely manner to compel the Weah led-administration to act now.
The party pointed out that it will not hesitate to exercise its constitutional right to peacefully assemble in keeping with the 1986 Liberian constitution if steps are not taking to correct the wrong in the soonest possible time.
“We wish to state emphatically that if the Supreme Court cannot give us justice and permit itself to be used by ruling politicians who harbor malice and prejudice against opposition actors, we would be left with no other option but to stage weeks of protestations at the Roberts International Airports and the offices of the LCCA to effectively disrupt normal activities at those institutions.”
The party said these actions aim to compel this government to desist from the callous infringement of their rights and permit the aircraft to fly in expeditiously.
The party emphasized that it recognizes the solid support of the US and the EU ,which cannot be quantified in any quantum, to build peace, institutionalize and promote democracy, facilitate and strengthen rule of law, push for the adherence of basic human rights, and the actualization of good governance.
PLP said it remains of the firm opinion that all efforts must be applied by both state actors and none-state-actors of Liberia in collaboration with foreign partners to strengthen and sustain the invaluable gains that have been made thus far.
The party noted that considering the myriad of excesses and anomalies glaringly obtaining under the watch of President Weah to include, bad governance, rampant public theft, and graft, lawlessness, impunity, human rights abuses, insecurity, and secret killings as captured by the latest US State Department Report and a horde of other international reports on governance, human rights, peace, and stability, it can safely argue that the government is doing all to undermine the peace and stability of the country.
“Under this government, the triggers for conflict are pervasive, to say the least, and we can only hope that you our dear and gracious foreign friends are keenly watching”, the PLP among other things stated.
There are reports that the CDC led-government is allegedly preventing Dr. Cassell from bringing into the country his personal aircraft for fear of him winning the minds and hearts of Liberians ahead of the 2023 general and presidential elections in Liberia.