Africa-Press – Liberia. Monrovia — Liberian football administrator, Emmett Stages Glassco, has frowned at the Liberia Football Association’s decision to expel Class ‘A’ referee Josephus Torjilor without according him due process.
Early Tuesday, April 29, 2024, the Liberia Football Association announced, with immediate effect, the expulsion of Class-A referee Josephus Torjilor from all LFA-organized activities. According to the release, Torjilor’s expulsion was consistent with the Referee Committee’s report from the match between Nimba and Grand Gedeh in the National County Meet.
The statement read, “His poor officiating brought the game into disrepute and also caused grave damages and losses.”
Torjilor’s controversial handling of the game led to Grand Gedians furiously storming the pitch with violence, resulting in injuries and damages at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex.
In August 2019, Josephus Torjilar was handed a two-year ban by the Liberia Football Association after admitting to receiving US$100 following a second-tier relegation play-off match that saw Pags beat defunct Srimex 2-0. Torjilar was found culpable of violating chapter 13, section 2 point 6, which states: “Match officials are not allowed to accept gifts of any kind from members of clubs, etc. (cash or kind) before, during, and after a match.”
Speaking to journalists at his office in Monrovia, the Senior Female Professionals President said dismissing someone without according them due process is wrong.
“We all know that he made some errors, but to expel him without due process is wrong,” he said.
He continued, “The best thing was to recall the man from the tournament and send him for an investigation before coming up with such a decision.”
Glassco also said that the expulsion of the referee has placed Torjilor and his family members in danger with the public without an investigation of the match report.
He alleged that there are other referees who have gone unpunished after officiating games poorly in the country.
He alleged, “The son of Stanley Konah Sr, who is the Director of Referees in Liberia, Stanley Nush Konah, once gave 13 yellow cards in a single game and there was no punishment for him.”
However, Glassco said the Liberia Football Association should rethink their decision and give referee Torjilar due process.
“I am using this medium to call the attention of LFA and the Referee Committee to give the Class A referee due process and subject him to an investigation,” he concluded the press conference.
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