The way I see Liberia

Who are the alleged key players of this plot? Who all had knowledge or any inclination of the alleged plot? Who blew the whistle of the alleged coup plot? What do we know of those implicated, arrested and charged for this alleged crime? What do we really know about the whistle blower? It is no secret, that we as a people have experienced similar plights in the past, and all I can do is raise my hands in the air and say, here we go again! We have heard rumors of alleged coup plots, we have seen some of our country men arrested and hauled in prisons for being players of alleged attempted coups, we have also heard and seen whistle blowers being paraded in front of cameras revealing secrets of coup plots and I can say with frustrated conviction that we are tired of being shadowed by the threat of coup plots on either side of the spectrum. Let us as a people leave this case with the court system and let jurisprudence takes it course and hopefully the truth shall be revealed.

In any crime, for which an attempted coup d'état is no exception, three main objectives must be met. The three objectives that must satisfy a crime and satisfy the jury are the motive, the means and the opportunity. Let us ask ourselves, what were the motives of the alleged key players; the motives of all who had knowledge of the alleged plot; and most especially, the motive of the whistle blower of this alleged coup plot? I do not know the motive of anyone in this alleged crime, but it will be suicidal for a group of people to give a nudge or thumbs-up of support to would-be coup plotters to carry out their devious crime. Was there or is there any opportunity to actually carry out a coup d'état in Liberia right now? The answer is a resounding NO and let my naivety be my paradigm for my logic. With the overwhelming presence of the UN and with the mindset of the majority of Liberians on the ground; moreover, with the raw clear and past dangers of the various wars of the past years, the opportunity is a dead ZERO. What were their means? I reckon the “farming tools” for the “peanuts and cassava sticks.” Means, well, it was the means that the whistle blower decoded and interpreted; consequently, declared to the world of the alleged plot to overthrow the peaceful government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the forgiving citizens of Liberia.

What do we know of the alleged coup plotters or anyone that have allegedly being linked to the plot and have been arrested to face trial? What do we know of the whistle blower and what is his real motive? In cases like these, there are so many questions with little or no answer at all to satisfy our desired thirst for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The real truth never comes out, never, no never.

From where I sit, I urge the nation not to be blinded by sentiment but to step back and let the court determine whether the accused had abundant means, motive and opportunity to commit the crime of treason against the state; moreover, that there are compelling evidence to prove their guilt or innocence. Although a couple of the names involved in this saga have questionable and colorful characters and have also played active roles in the past conflicts, and therefore are no strangers to the general public, the evidence of guilt must be proved in this case beyond all reasonable doubt; so that, if the accused are found guilty, the maximum punishment must be rendered to these criminally insane bandits. This case will be a landmark case, which will set the precedence for jurisprudence in a truly new Liberia, and the verdict will set the pace for good governance and the distinction and the separation of the three branches of the government will be respected and honored. If this case, the epiphany of a coup d'état, is solely based on the whistle blower’s decoded messages, then God bless us all.