WHO FINGERED CPP FRAMEWORK DOCUMENT? NEC Boss Testimony Deepens CPP Woes…

By: Jerromie S. Walters

Capitol Hill, Liberia: The controversial collaborating Political Parties (CPP) framework document alteration (fingering) saga appears to have a very long way, as it has been unarguably displayed through Court revelation(s), thoughts and actions by constituent parties to identify those on the wrong or right trajectory.

The one (Mr. Alexander B. Cummings) hundreds of Liberians have seen as the most generous, genuine, and honest man in the opposition block and specifically the CPP, appears being guiltily dragged at the Monrovia City Court for forgery and criminal conspiracy, which all stance have gone against him, while it has also unearthed intrinsic information about his involvement in the case.

Following the appearance of the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission Madam Davidetta Brown-Lassanah before the court early Wednesday, May 5, 2022 to make available the CPP Framework document submitted to her office, controversies surrounding the Collaboration document seems to grow more curiosity and leave unanswered questions as NEC Boss testified.

In her testimony, NEC Chair Madam Brown Lassanah submitted to the Monrovia City Court what she considered as the exact copy of the CPP Framework Document filed with the Commission, but shockingly with the cover letter bearing conflicting dates to indicate July 10, 2020 for submission and July 14, 2020 for notarization date, approximately four days after the framework document was filed.

This means the cover letter that transmitted the CPP’s framework document to the NEC was signed and received on July 10, 2020 at 2:30 pm, and notarized on July 14, 2020.

When firstly quizzed about the sticky controversies (Notorized copy and conflicting date, not original copy) surrounding the document presented to the court, Madam Brown-Lassanah said the notarized document is the exact copy that was filed with the NEC by the Collaborating Political Parties.

In addition to the conflict surrounding the CPP document presented by the NEC Boss, the prosecution established errors in the dates of filing and notarization of the original framework document which carries the signatures of Aloysious Toe as Secretary and Senator Daniel Naathan as Chairman of the CPP instead of Alexander Cummings signature who at the time headed (Chairman) the Collaboration.

However, since the establishment of the Collaborating political parties (CPP), Senator Daniel Naathan has at no given point or period, served as chairman of the Collaboration.

In such situation especially considering the submission date and date of notarization of the CPP document, one may only be left with curiosity and concerns as to who did the notarization.

Howbeit, it’s obvious that those that signed the document had all authorities to request for review or some other party purpose(s) after the date of submission, but it’s yet complicated to be convince that they did so (alteration) without the knowledge of the National Election Commission(NEC).

With the situation unfolding, one can unquestionably conclude that with those involved in the case, either the National Elections Commission or the Alternative National Congress (ANC), masterminded or demonstrated the unorthodox act.

However, the tragedy seems to still have a long way as absolutely no one have taken the responsibility for the unprecedented alterations (notarization) of the collaboration document even though investigation have indirectly disclosed at least two suspects.

On the other hand, supporters of the ANC have argued that the documents were submitted without a notarized page at first, and after about four days, they (ANC) were alerted to do so before exercising some political duties.

“In order to process our registration documents to field candidates in the Senatorial Elections, we needed to come with our notarized batch, hence the SG picked the documents up and notarize same and return it. It’s allowed under NEC’s rule. A person is given time to cure a defect on documents if there is still time left to do so,”ANC Lafayette Gould noted in a Facebook comment noted.

It can be referenced that the All Liberian Party (ALP) and the ANC court controversies upon the Monrovia City Court issuing an arrest warrant for the ANC political leader, following complaint by the All Liberian Party.

The writ indicated the arrest of Mr. Cummings and the Chairman and Secretary General of the ANC for ‘forgery and criminal conspiracy ‘ of the CPP Framework document.

According to Magistrate Jomah Jallah’s writ of arrest, the ANC stalwarts purposely connived, conspired and jointly did altered the framework document, this deceiving the private prosecutor and the public regarding the content and averment of the said document specifically a period a party may exist from the collaboration which was unrevealed.