Verity News has obtained a leaked audio recording revealing a covert meeting between the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and dismissed Executive Protection Service (EPS) officers.
The audio outlines plans for a large-scale protest on Monday, August 5, under the slogan “Pay us off or kill us all.”
The dismissed EPS officers, who were terminated shortly after the Joseph Nyuma Boakai administration took office, are allegedly preparing to take radical action due to prolonged delays in addressing their severance benefits.
According to sources within the dismissed officers’ ranks, they have been patient since their services were terminated by the new EPS Director, Sam Gaye.
The leaked recording discloses that over 100 dismissed EPS officers, along with ex-combatants, convened at the CDC headquarters, located opposite the Lonestar Cell GSM Office, late on the evening of Thursday, August 1.
The gathering was intended to strategize for their upcoming protest.
Combatants identified in the meeting reportedly belong to various warring factions, and they have vowed to lead the protest alongside the dismissed EPS officers.
Notable figures reported to be among the ex-combatants include General Varlee Telleh, John Gapon, and Abraham Sehand.
The protest, titled “Pay us or kill us all,” aims to draw attention to their grievances and force the government to address their demands.
This planned action follows a recent press conference held by CDC Political Leader George Manneh Weah.
During the conference, former President Weah expressed the CDC’s readiness to resist what he described as a “witch hunt” against his former government officials and party members.
He accused the Boakai administration of weaponizing the judicial system for political gain.
Following Weah’s press conference on Tuesday, July 30, several CDC members expressed their intention to resist the ongoing prosecution of former officials implicated in corruption and other offenses.
It can be recalled, in an interview with the media, former Model Rebel General Wilson Zulu criticized the government’s actions as unjust and warned of potential unrest if the situation is not addressed.
General Zulu asserted that CDC members have rights in Liberia and should not be subjected to intimidation through dismissals and court prosecutions.
He called on President Boakai to rectify what he perceives as mistakes in handling the situation. Zulu ominously hinted that failure to do so could lead to further complications in Liberia.
“The power we gave to the Unity Party, they don’t want to enjoy it because they continue to embarrass us,” Zulu emphasized.
“The former EPS agents and those dismissed from their jobs are all Liberians. You can’t remove Liberians just because they are CDCians. I’m prepared to put my pen down and march anywhere in this country because the people don’t want to listen.”
President Weah himself underscored the CDC’s commitment to resisting the alleged politicization of the judicial system.
“The Unity Party can be assured that the CDC will use all legal and political means at its disposal to resist this move to weaponize the country’s judicial system to its selfish advantage. Yes, Mr. Boakai, your action to politicize justice will be resisted strongly,” Weah declared.
The leaked audio also reveals that the ex-combatants have threatened to strongly resist the government if the arrests of former officials continue.
Sources within the protest organizers’ circle indicated that they are prepared to use any means necessary to resist security forces that might attempt to prevent their demonstration.
As tensions rise, the potential for conflict looms large.
The government’s response to these emerging threats will be crucial in determining whether the situation escalates further.
The people of Liberia watch anxiously as the political landscape becomes increasingly volatile.
