Africa-Press – Liberia. Former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai on Tuesday concluded his testimony against his former ally in the Collaborating Political Parties Alexander B. Cummings that the Framework Document was altered.
Boakai told the court that he is aware of the All Liberian Party’s allegation that the CPP Framework Document was altered and also consented that the CPP investigation was submitted to the National Advisory Council.
“The Framework Document was a document that that defined how we were to operate and everything was included in it with all chairpersons names and that Horatio Gould is chair of that committee,” Boakai said but noted that he will not state when all other instruments were placed in the document.
Nevertheless, he told the court that at one point his name was misspelled and he refused to sign the document, but a correction was made and he later signed when Mohammed Ali took the document to him.
Boakai maintained that the document was signed on May 19, 2020, via zoom.
The Unity Party political testified that at no time did he ever sign a Framework Document that had an exit clause.
“The document that I signed on May 19, 2020, was read and did not have an exit clause,” he explained.
“The wording was resigned, but in the lawyer’s 10 counts to the validation committee, count five, however, used the word exit, which was not in the document that I signed.”
According to the former Vice President, the signature page in the document represents the original signature, and the document that he signed never had senator Daniel Naatehn as chairman of the CPP.
He said the framework document, after its amendment, recommendations, and decision, was sent to the validation committee, which he termed administratively and lied in the preview of the then chairman, Cummings.
“I don’t follow approval and discussion of important documents in the chatroom,” Boakai said while responding to issues that the amendment was forwarded to investigative reports and never seen after lawyers review and passed it over and were never seen.
Boakai then noted that it was Alexander Cummings who was then required to submit the amendment recommendations.
Mr. Boakai is a high-profile state witness in a criminal case brought against his one-time political ally and leader of the opposition ANC, Mr. Cummings.
Boakai and Cummings were uncompromising rivals seeking to head the CPP presidential ticket ahead of the 2023 presidential and general elections when an allegation of altering the CPP framework document was raised against Cummings by the government.
When asked by the defense if he left the CPP because of the amendment recommendations made by the team of lawyers, Amb. Boakai said that he cannot say consent, because there were multiple reasons for the Unity Party’s withdrawal from the CPP.
‘’The framework document after the amendment recommendations by the lawyers and our subsequence decision to send it to the validation committee it was the administrative decision by the chairman,’’ Amb. Boakai responded.
Mr. Cummings is currently facing criminal trial after being accused by ALP political leader Mr. Benoni Urey of allegedly tampering with the CPP framework document and illegally attaching his signature to a photocopy version, which Mr. Cummings has always denied any wrongdoing.
For More News And Analysis About Liberia Follow Africa-Press
