MONROVIA, Liberia — Former Monrovia City Mayor and Secretary General of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), Jefferson Tamba Koijee, has warned that any attempt to arrest former President George Manneh Weah would be resisted.
“Joseph Boakai is easier to arrest than George Weah. Let them try arresting George Weah and see,” Koijee said.
Koijee made the remarks amid heightened political tensions between the ruling Unity Party and the opposition CDC.
He alleged that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai sought to have Weah arrested upon his return to Liberia and claimed that former Justice Minister Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh was removed from office for refusing to carry out the alleged order. Koijee did not provide evidence to support the claims.
The government has denied the allegation. Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah described reports of a planned arrest as unfounded, stating that the government has no such plan.
There is no publicly confirmed arrest warrant or order against former President Weah.
The exchange comes against a backdrop of legal proceedings involving several officials who served under the Weah administration. Weah has accused the Boakai administration of political interference in the justice system, including in the case involving former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor. The matter remains before the courts.
Analysts say Koijee’s comments reflect growing friction between the Boakai administration and the CDC, Liberia’s largest opposition bloc, over issues of rule of law, political accountability and due process.
