American Citizenship Claims Engulf Senatorial Race for Montserrado

The two main contenders for the forthcoming Senatorial race for Montserrado County, Ambassador George Weah and Mr. Robert Sirleaf have reported been accused of holding am American citizenship but the both camps have debunked the claims in the face of copies of the documents.

Article 28 of the Liberian Constitution states that “Any person, at least one of whose parents was a citizen of Liberia at the time of the Person's birth, shall be a citizen of Liberia; provided that any such person shall upon reaching maturity renounce any other citizenship acquired by virtue of one parent being a citizen of another country. No citizen of the Republic shall be deprived of citizenship or nationality except as provided by law; and no person shall be denied the right to change citizenship or nationality.”

On Monday, photocopies of an American passport purportedly belonging to football legend George Weah is stirring debate on the social media network Facebook, just weeks after a purported application for Liberia residence permit belonging to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s son, Robert, made the rounds on the social media circuit. The pair is among the leading contenders in the Mid Term Montserrado County Senatorial elections slated for October.

The Robert Sirleaf documents included two pages of a letter dated June 2010, purported to be written by Mr. Sirleaf stating that he is an American citizen seeking a change of status in consonance with the Alien and Naturalization Act of Liberia. The second is a form filled in handwriting requesting an adjustment in immigration status.

In the case of Weah, several users of Facebook have been deciphering and coming up with various theories while some have suggested that the passport purported to belong to Weah may have been doctored. A key issue of contention is the identity of the person who posted the passport. “

While Joey Kennedy, Public Affairs Director at the National Elections Commission said that NEC has not received any official complaint from anyone questioning the citizenship of any candidate in the senatorial race. In both cases, verification has been a burning issue.

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization recently suggested that the Sirleaf documents may have been doctored “We have immediately ordered a full scale investigation into these infringements which contravenes the ethical value of the Institution, including, the Standard Operational Procedures and the Code of Conduct section 15.0 that serves as a sentry principle for the institution, and maintains the highest standard of integrity.”

On Monday, BIN followed up that claim with the indefinite suspension of six personnel at the immigration agency. “The Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization has with immediate effect disrobed six (6) of its officers for time indefinite without salary for forgery, doctoring of Immigration related documents, taking bribes and falsification of the Commissioner’s signature,” the statement said.

The agency named the officers involved as LTC. Othello Choloply, Chief of Intelligence of the Grand Bassa Detail, Capt. James Sibley of the Anti Human Trafficking Unit, Maj. Dennis K. Yorgbor, Chief of Budget (BIN), Capt. Isaiah Williams, Press and Public Affairs, Lt. Joe Kerbah, Task Force and Capt. Anthony Taylor, who is on the run. All of whom violated Section 15.0 of the BIN Code of Conduct “Integrity Related Misconduct”.

Mr. Sirleaf received a petition from his supporters Monday afternoon during a football match in Clara Town while Weah is expected to declare his intentions later this week. He arrives from Brazil on Wednesday and is expected to be greeted mounting mounting questions about the U.S. passport that may or not be his as he and his party look to address the controversy upon his return.

Sirleaf is yet to address claims of his purported U.S. citizenship but the Bueau of Immigration and Naturalization in Liberia recently ordered a full scale investigation into what it described as serious breaches to its administrative procedures and protocols in the wake of a recent leaked application form purported to belong to Robert Sirleaf, who is also a former board chair of the National Oil Company of Liberia.

Mulbah Morlu, Vice Chairman of the CDC for Operations and Mobilization has described the photograph allegedly bearing the US citizenship of Weah as false and fabricated document produced by opponents of Weah.

“We do not want to lend credence to this fake, fabricated documents, flawed with inaccuracies, this is a trash and does not need to be discussed, Ambassador Weah cannot be proven to be a non Liberian, he has always been a Liberian and will remain a Liberian forever”, said Morlu.