‘Nonsense Paper’

-PYJ Describes TRC Report

By Jackson C. Clay, Jr.

Former warlord and now Nimba County senator, Prince Y. Johnson has described as ‘nonsense paper’ the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

Speaking to Newsmen at the Liberia-Sierra Leone border over the weekend during a one day visit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) parliament delegation, Senator Johnson said the TRC report is characterized by ‘errors and guilty verdicts.’

“You are talking about the damn TRC report; look at the report from the beginning to the end, there is nothing like allegation in there. If you open the beginning of the TRC report, will never find what you referred to as allegation, but all you find is that this man is notorious war criminal, he is a murderer and this means TRC has already consider us guilty, so now why do you want to send us to court,” the former warlord wonders.

The Nimba County Senator indicated that he is aware that every Liberian wants justice including himself but cautioned Liberians to follow the right path of justice, thus, justice considers every person innocent until proven guilty by the court of competent jurisdiction, something he thinks is on the contrary in Liberia.

Senator Johnson indicated that Liberians are good at burying the truth simply because they are filled with confusion and want to cause trouble in the country.

“You Liberians see the truth and you do not follow the truth, they put the truth one side because they are filled in with confusion and want to make trouble,” Senator Johnson said.

The former warlord recounted that during the People Redemption Council (PRC) administration in 1980, they enacted a law granting them amnesty thereby freeing them from prosecution and he is part of those who have been granted amnesty.

“During former President Taylor administration, a law was passed, granting general amnesty to all factions during the Liberian civil crisis from 1990 to 2003 it was signed and printed into hand bill and those laws are still around, so if you want to prosecute people like me, the law says no he is under amnesty,” Senator Johnson noted.