Dear Members of Diplomatic Corps and Development Partners;
Excellences, with sentiments of the highest esteem, we extend heartfelt greetings and best wishes from the hierarchy and membership of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP).
Excellence, it would be remised of us to pen this letter without firstly expressing our profound thanks for all you have collectively done to put Liberia on what seems an irreversible path of peace and democratic governance, and civility. For this milestone generosity and your continual unrelenting support to the forward March of Liberia, we shall forever remain indebted to all of you.
In light of the remarkable achievements we have made with your solid support 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, the PLP is 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.
In this respect, the current administration of President George Manneh Weah bears the greatest responsibility to maintain peace and tranquility, ensure good governance and respect for the rule of the law and civil liberties. For Liberia to remain stable and foster forward, these fundamental values must remain adhered to and never violated and/or compromised.
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 State Department Report and a horde of other international Reports on governance, human rights, peace, and stability, we can safely argue that the current administration 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.
Consequently, we wish to bring to your attention the callous and brazen infringement of the rights of Dr. Daniel C. Cassell as a Liberian Citizen of Liberia and the utter gross disrespect of him as a major opposition Leader.
Accordingly, as the Liberian media has widely 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 Liberia and other parts of the region. To the full extent of aviation laws and regulations, the aircraft has met all due requirements in line with aviation standards and regulations.
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.
Unfortunately, after we obtained clearance and landing permit from the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA) 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, we shockingly received a ‘null and void’ notification while in Abidjan and about to take off for Liberia-RIA that the aircraft cannot fly into Liberia with no justification whatsoever. Additionally, 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.
In complying with the rule of law and in search of justice from the chambers of the Court, we took the matter to the Supreme Court. Hon. 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.
Our Counsel ably argued on the merits of the available evidence adduced before the Court that the aircraft in question met all legal requirements for which it was permitted by the very LCAA to fly into Liberia. Whereas the government lawyer, Solicitor General Cephas immaterially and poorly argued that Kweyan and Associates Group of Companies’ lawsuit against the LCAA was without merit because it didn’t follow the proper procedure, he claims, stating that instead of the company, it should have been the Managing Company-NAC who 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.
Your Excellencies, we were appalled that at the close of the arguments, the Justice-in-Chambers Judge Kabba sadly ruled in favor of the LCAA to unlawfully deny 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 brings 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.
Truth be told, yesterday’s ruling doesn’t represent the sacredness of the law, it instead represents “Partisan Politics” something, we believe, the Court must distance itself from to the letter.
Excellencies, 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 injustice, ill-treatment, and infringement of the constitutional rights of our Political Leader and Vision Bearer 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.
Finally, your Excellencies, we which to state emphatically that if the 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. These actions aim to compel this government to desist from the callous infringement of our rights and permit the aircraft to fly in expeditiously.
To this end, we kindly seek your timely intervention to compel this government to act accordingly.
Best regards,
____________________________
Dr. Daniel E. Cassell, Ph.D., MPH
Vision Bearer/Political Leader
Cc: Liberia Council of Churches, Liberia Interreligious Council, Liberia Bar Association, Press Union of Liberia, Collaborating Political Party (CPP), The Rainfall Alliance of Political Parties, The National Traditional Counsel, The National Muslim Counsel, The National Legislature, Independent National Human Rights Commission.