“Toilet Paper”

-Agitated PYJ Describes War Crimes Court Establishment

As the calls for the establishment of war and economic crimes court in the country intensify, the then head of the defunct Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), Senator Prince Yormie Johnson alias “PYJ” has described such impending documents as “toilet paper”.

Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, a former warlord and now Evangelist of the gospel is on record of capturing and killing former President Samuel Kanyon Doe in September 1990.

His defunct INPFL is on record of committing some of the heinous crimes and crimes against humanity during Liberia’s brutal civil unrests that claimed the lives of more than 250,000.

Senator Johnson later left Liberia for Nigeria and returned as Evangelist of the Gospel and contested the 2005 presidential and legislative elections in 2005 as Senator of his native Nimba County and reelected in 2014 for his second term.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in its recommendations in 2009 listed the Nimba County Senator among persons who committed heinous crimes and crimes against humanity, wants him tried in a special court.

However, the former rebel leader has publicly expressed his opposition over the establishment of such court.

Delivering one of his much anticipated sermons on Sunday, October 6, 2019 at his ‘Faith Fellowship Chapel’, the former rebel leader now preacher of the gospel said the establishment of the Court in Liberia will never happen, noting that his international lawyers have assured him that it will not work as being perceived by many Liberians and human rights advocates.

GNN Liberia quotes Senator Johnson as saying “This issue being put forward by those who calling for its establishment will not work, it is a complete nonsense and a toilet paper by those who are calling for its establishment,” Senator Prince Johnson said.

As it stands, dozens of Liberian lawmakers have signed the resolution for the establishment of the Court, calling on the Liberian leader to quickly approve the instrument in order for it to take effect.

Over the past months, human rights groups and victims of the Liberian civil war have been calling for the establishment of a war crime court in order to bring to justice those who played greater role and are proudly living with impunity for the murder of hundreds of innocent Liberians.

Since this announcement was made calling for the establishment of the court in Liberia, Senator Prince Johnson has been using his podium to condemn advocates for this move.

As pressure mounts, President George Weah recently submitted to the National Legislature a document soliciting their views regarding the establishment of the court in Liberia, but he himself has not publicly come out to agree on this.

Meanwhile, lawmakers have been asked by the plenary of the House of Representatives to get in their various constituencies and consult their electorates on the way forward regarding the establishment of the court.