Temple of Justice, Capitol Hill, Monrovia – Supporters of defeated Grand Cape Mount County Senator Victor Watson reportedly attacked Senator-elect Simeon Taylor on Tuesday, August 3, 2021 following the Supreme Court hearing into an appeal filed recently by Mr. Watson when the National Elections Commission (NEC) finally reaffirmed Mr. Taylor as winner of the 2020 midterm senatorial election in Grand Cape Mount County.
According to confirmed eyewitness account, tension ran high between supporters of the two camps when immediately after the hearing, the Justices announced that the Court would make a final determination into the appeal within seven days, in accordance with law.
Senator Victor Watson and his team of lawyers had recently taken an appeal to the Supreme Court after Mr. Simeon Taylor was reaffirmed by the NEC Board of Commissioners as winner of the 2020 midterm senatorial elections following a lengthy hearing proceeding that lasted for over seven months.
Speaking with Punch FM/TV Online Service following the attack, Mrs. Vashti Blamo, a journalist who provides media coverage for Mr. Taylor, said supporters of Mr. Watson, sensing their candidate’s defeat by the way the Justices had grilled the appellant’s lawyers, attacked Senator-elect Taylor and members of his team after the hearing.
“We were at the Supreme Court Tuesday where the two teams of lawyers had argued. On Mr. Simeon Taylor’s side was Cllr. Wilkins Wright, the lawyer for NEC; and also Cllr. Benedict Sannoh. Cllrs. Arthur Johnson and Swaliho Sesay were representing the CDC side. After the argument, the Justices commenced with their questioning. Expectedly, some of the questions from the Justices were in line with the NEC decision that reaffirmed Mr. Simeon Taylor as senator-elect. For instance, the Justices asked the appellants, why they claimed that Simeon Taylor voted twice when the FFR showed that Mr. Taylor voted only once. The justices also asked, what if NEC took 500 votes from Simeon Taylor and give them to Victor Watson, would that change the outcome of the election in favor of Victor Watson?” eyewitness Vashti Blamo narrated.
Mrs. Blamo further stated that following the hearing, they went peacefully upstairs where the Justices announced that they will give their ruling within seven days.
“Mr. Simeon Taylor came from upstairs under huge tension because Abu, the security to the senator-elect, was being harassed by followers of Victor Watson. The same Victor Watson followers also started to harass the senator-elect. Immediately thereafter, heavy fighting ensued. Simeon Taylor wanted to board his vehicle but the Watson supporters attempted damaging the car. However, we were protected heavily by the court sheriff,” Blamo furthered.
She said, after the fighting intensified, the Supreme Court security rushed Senator-elect Taylor and his team into the security office inside the Temple of Justice where they were kept secured for 30 minutes. “The security office was tension packed and the senator-elect feared for his life. He could be heard yelling on the video that I recorded: ‘I want to go, I want to go!’ But the security told him to stay put because the court yard was not safe for him so they couldn’t release him to get outside,” the eyewitness averred, noting that the situation led to her phone being seized and cracked allegedly by one of Victor Watson’s supporters.
“The tension was very high during the fighting. The Watson supporters even broke down the glass door to the Supreme Court because when we entered, they stepped the door to enter behind us. Even my cellphone that I am using was seized and cracked by Victor Watson supporters because they didn’t want any recording of the violence to be released. When the fighting subsided we managed to retrieve the phone from them. Among the Watson group, one Mohammed Landa was the one who seized my phone. But Patrick Madave was the main one leading the riot at the Supreme Court,” she stated emphatically, wondering what would happen on the day of the ruling, if Watson’s supporters could misbehave in such manner at just the hearing.
Mrs. Blamo disclosed that the Liberia National Police had to deploy forces to clear the whole court yard, before Senator-elect Simeon Taylor and his team could leave the Temple of Justice.
“When the court yard was cleared, we had to pass underground. Then they brought the senator’s car and that’s how we escaped from the Supreme Court,” she further narrated.
Sando Wayne Raises Alarm Bell
United People’s Party (UPP) stalwart Sando Wayne participated in the 2020 midterm senatorial election in Grand Cape Mount County. Mr. Wayne was notably one of the few candidates who conceded defeat and immediately congratulated Mr. Simeon Taylor after the NEC had initially announced him winner of the election.
In can be recalled that the Grand Cape Mount County election had been mired by heavy violence, allegedly sponsored by Victor Watson and his financier Idrissa “Bomber” Mansaray, a situation that has caused the county to be plunged in a perpetual state of insecurity.
Decrying the rising tension in his county, Mr. Wayne had continued to caution the government to consider beefing up security in Grand Cape Mount County, properly investigate perpetrators of violence and punish convicted offenders.
“They were brave enough to besiege the Supreme Court yard because they have been carrying out similar acts of violence in the county with impunity. We can only imagine what the outcome will be when the Supreme Court rules in Simeon Taylor’s favor next week. This has to stop. Cape Mount doesn’t belong to any specific group of people. Cape Mount is part of Liberia. The citizens and residents of Grand Cape Mount County pay taxes that contribute to national development. Our people must be protected,” Mr. Wayne lamented.
All efforts to contact Mr. Victor Watson for his side of the story proved futile up to press time.
