By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor
Former President George Weah is expected to face the Grievance and Ethics Committee of the erstwhile ruling Coalition for Democratic Change over accusations of gender based related violence.
A female partisan filed complaints with the party’s powerful ethics committee on June 14, alleging Weah insulted, bullied and called her a prostitute.
Courage Boyonnoh Sundbery alleges the ex-President’s disparaging comments have left her severely harmed and psychological distressed.
She wants the party to probe into the misconduct of its political leader. CDC’s top officials including former President Weah and Chairman Janga Kowo declined comments when contacted.
According to Courage, the incident occurred in a CDC chatroom known as the “Arena,” where heated exchanges erupted when a podcast containing the police arrest and investigation of the Revered Emmanuel Nimely who served as Weah’s Religious Advisor during his six-year reign was shared.
Nimely is on trial for allegedly defrauding over 90 persons of $87,000 United States dollars on deceptive promise of offering Australian visa.
Courage’s contribution to the topic left Mr. President unsettled.
“During the conversation, I asked, “how could Prezo [president] make such a crook his religious advisor?” She said in a letter to the Executive Committee of the CDC.
“In response, former President Weah issued a provocative and disparaging reply, suggesting, among other things: “if I have tested all the many men I had slept with,” implying that I am a prostitute.
“This gross mischaracterization of my character is a direct attack on my moral values despite the fact that I have never been unfaithful in my 23 years of marriage.
“Weah’s response was not only disappointing but also surprising, given his reputation as a ‘Feminist-In- Chief’ during his presidency. This insult is not only a personal attack on me but an affront to all women within our party.
“Mr. Weah does not know me personally to make such a statement about me, especially considering that I am a married woman. This statement was inappropriate, disrespectful, and invasive, making unwarranted assumptions about my personal life and character.”
Under the Istanbul Convention (Council of Europe, Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence),acts of gender-based violence are split into five inter-related types: physical violence, verbal violence (including hate speech),psychological violence, sexual violence, socio-economic violence.
