PYJ’s Ally Koung backs War Crimes & Economic Crimes Court in Liberia, But…

Nimba County Senator Jeremiah Koung, newly chosen running mate of former Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai,  has given his backings to the establishment of a war crimes and economic crimes court in Liberia. 

Sen. Koung, who is the closest political ally of former warlord, now also  Senator of Nimba, Prince Yormie Johnson alias “PYJ,” said perpetrators of the war and economic criminals must be made to account for their acts against humanity. 

Given his position on the establishment of the war crimes and economic crimes court in Liberia when  he appeared Tuesday night, May 10, 2023 on the Class Reloaded  on Radio Bushrod, Sen. Koung, who currently serves in the capacity of political leader of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), pointed out that he welcomes the court to come so that people who committed heinous crimes against humanity and accrued unexplained economic wealths can be made to account for their deals without fear or favor. 

But he, however, warned against politicization of the establishment of the court against certain individuals such as his ‘‘Political Godfather ‘’(PYJ) and others. 

“I am one of those who don’t believe in impunity, because I am a war victim; I was a child – 12 years old when the war came. It destroyed a good portion of my life. I believe people should pay for everything they did during the war. The only thing I don’t support is to weaponize the war crime court. To make it political against individuals is not fair,” said VP Boakai’s running mate. 

“I say this to say that, by 2011, the CDC were tooting caskets to the US Embassy demanding war and economic crime court because Senator Johnson was supporting Unity Party’s Madam Ellen Johnson. And so they wanted him there because he was the guy who was stopping them from winning. In 2017, he supported them and there was no need for the war and economic crime court. Up to these few time, when we started and Ambassador Boakai started working together, then the angel that they had that supported them in 2017 is now a devil again,” he furthered. 

Outlining the importance of the court for Liberia’s lasting peace and development, the UP’s Vice Presidential candidate for the ensuing 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections warned that the sole aim and intent would be distorted if it is politicized for political gains. 

“So if you weaponize the war crime court and want to target human beings; one or two persons because of political gains, then you can’t have me in it. But if it is for justice; if it is about people who died from all of us, then I am there. I know about Nimba because I was in Buchanan in 1990 because the war reached there in May. When the war entered Buchanan, they used to bring children in trailers to sell them five dollars for a child. So someone would go there and pay five dollars and take the child home. So I used to go there to look for my brothers and sisters. So I saw the [war].” 

“Children were buried in the wells; two to three hundred children. They dug holes to bury them alive. People must pay for those things. So let’s be fair about it. Let the court come. If you accumulate wealth that is unexplained; because wealth is growth, you have to account for it. We have to know when did you get one dollar and how did it turn to two dollars and how did it get here now. If you were right around here yesterday asking people for nickel or dime yesterday and out of a sudden you are way up there, that needs to be justified,” Sen. Koung, among other things,  added.