By Oracle News Daily
United States authorities have revoked visa issued to Foreign Minister Maxwell Kemayah intended for his travel to the United Nations 78th General Assembly in New York on unspecified grounds.
Kemayah said in a September 14 Foreign Ministry memo that he would join President George Weah at the UNGA for his address to the world body. With less than 24 hours to the delivery of the President’s speech, the country’s chief diplomat is nowhere near New York.
The Minister is now loitering in the United Kingdom after he was served notice of inadmissibility. He planned the London trip lacking diplomatic focus to explain his absence at the UN, a foreign Ministry source privy to the incident told the Oracle News Daily.
US Embassy in Monrovia contacted about the decision to deny the West African nation’s top diplomat entry into the United States said the matter is confidential.
“Under U.S. law, specifically the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 222(f), visa records are confidential,” it said.
“Because of confidentiality of visa records, only the visa applicant can answer questions about whether a visa application was made, or a visa was issued or denied.”
Minister Kemayah phone could not connect when contacted for statement and inquiry through WhatsApp went unanswered.
It is not unusual for a consular officer to issue a visa, and after new information comes to light, to call the visa holder back to the consulate to revoke the visa.
Under US practices, consular revoked visit if the holder is inadmissible to the United States on security, criminal, medical, financial and also if matter usually involving law enforcement, is suspected.
Minister Kemaya faced sexual molestation and harassment accusation when he served as Liberia’s Ambassador to the United Nations and was subject of US law enforcement investigation. He has since maintained his innocence.
