The Minister of State for Presidential Affairs in the Elllen led Government, Willis Knuckles who was caught in what the public called a "disgraceful sex scandal" has confirmed and apologized to his boss, the President of Liberia and his family for the act.
Speaking at a well attended press conference yesterday in the presence of some of his family members in an direct admission, Willis Knuckles told reporters yesterday that he is the man in the pornographic image having sex with two underage Liberian girls, one of the girls is about the age of 10.
Minister Knuckles blamed former Speaker Edwin Snowe and his wife Mardea White Snowe for putting “my private life”into the public, Minister Knuckles in a serious and sorrowful mood told the well atteended press conference in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Apologising to his boss (President Sirleaf), family and friends, said that it was his private life to have sex with under age Liberian girls and should have remained that way.
Minister Knuckles said Snowe and his family had unsuccessfully attempted to black mail him and also blamed the distribution of the photograph on an unnamed female legislator, see full text below of Minister Knuckles' press statement:
A compromising photograph has been in circulation reaching serious proportions since the resignation of former Speaker Edwin Snowe, with distribution on the internet, among journalists and even on street corners.
The purpose of this statement, therefore, is to give a clear perspective to the press and to the public as to how this situation has evolved.
First, I must express regrets to my wife of 37 years, my children, my mother, and all my other relatives, my boss, the President, my pastor and my church, my co-workers in government and all my friends, associates and others in the general public to whom this episode has come as a pointless embarrassment.
The perpetrators of this act along with a certain female legislator, have distributed copies of this photograph with the intent of embarrassing me socially and inflicting political damage to the government given my current political position.
The photograph currently circulating was first brought to my attention two weeks ago by Mrs. Mardea White Snowe, who happens to be a cousin and her husband, Edwin Snowe. This happened through a mutual family intermediary. Exactly from where or how it was obtained was not explained and I am still at a loss to understand. Mrs. Snowe indicated that she had control over this photograph.
They unsuccessfully attempted to blackmail me by offering me the photograph and if I would according to them, stop opposing Mr. Snowe and help find a way to resolve Snowe’s political difficulties.
I rejected their overtures and suddenly, since his resignation as Speaker, copies have appeared everywhere.
The public might want to know that in the 2005 elections, I vigorously opposed Mr. Snowe’s candidacy in the Montserrado County District elections. I informed Mrs. Snowe that I felt it my duty to oppose his election to the House of Representatives.Since that day, all Mr. Snowe troubles have been blamed on me.
That people are prepared to go to such an extreme as what the perpetrators have done in an attempt to destroy another person’s character is regrettable.
The accusation of two years ago of four people attempting to kill Mr. Snowe is still fresh in our memory. An NSA report later showed manufactured emails, arranged foreign trips to Ghana, etc. all part of a fraudulent make-up for which an apology was offered.
Now for whatever political or other ends the perpetrator wishes to achieve, my private life is being drawn into the short and inglorious end of someone else’s public life.
I sincerely hope that in dealing with the current difficulty that this situation has created, it should be noted I have forty years of service in the public and private sectors-one widely regarded as dedicated and efficient.
In closing, I must thank all those who have offered me moral and other support in dealing with the crisis-Her Excellency the President, and other government officials, my family, my church friends at home and abroad of all persuasions, and Liberians in general.
Willis D. Knuckles Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Republic of Liberia".
First, I must express regrets to my wife of 37 years, my children, my mother, and all my other relatives, my boss, the President, my pastor and my church, my co-workers in government and all my friends, associates and others in the general public to whom this episode has come as a pointless embarrassment.
The perpetrators of this act along with a certain female legislator, have distributed copies of this photograph with the intent of embarrassing me socially and inflicting political damage to the government given my current political position.
The photograph currently circulating was first brought to my attention two weeks ago by Mrs. Mardea White Snowe, who happens to be a cousin and her husband, Edwin Snowe. This happened through a mutual family intermediary. Exactly from where or how it was obtained was not explained and I am still at a loss to understand. Mrs. Snowe indicated that she had control over this photograph.
They unsuccessfully attempted to blackmail me by offering me the photograph and if I would according to them, stop opposing Mr. Snowe and help find a way to resolve Snowe’s political difficulties.
I rejected their overtures and suddenly, since his resignation as Speaker, copies have appeared everywhere.
The public might want to know that in the 2005 elections, I vigorously opposed Mr. Snowe’s candidacy in the Montserrado County District elections. I informed Mrs. Snowe that I felt it my duty to oppose his election to the House of Representatives.Since that day, all Mr. Snowe troubles have been blamed on me.
That people are prepared to go to such an extreme as what the perpetrators have done in an attempt to destroy another person’s character is regrettable.
The accusation of two years ago of four people attempting to kill Mr. Snowe is still fresh in our memory. An NSA report later showed manufactured emails, arranged foreign trips to Ghana, etc. all part of a fraudulent make-up for which an apology was offered.
Now for whatever political or other ends the perpetrator wishes to achieve, my private life is being drawn into the short and inglorious end of someone else’s public life.
I sincerely hope that in dealing with the current difficulty that this situation has created, it should be noted I have forty years of service in the public and private sectors-one widely regarded as dedicated and efficient.
In closing, I must thank all those who have offered me moral and other support in dealing with the crisis-Her Excellency the President, and other government officials, my family, my church friends at home and abroad of all persuasions, and Liberians in general.
Willis D. Knuckles Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Republic of Liberia".
Meanwhile, Liberians who were interviewed by a team of GNN reporters throughout the city described the act by an official of government as "disgraceful" and called for his immediate dismissal.
"This guy must be arrested and detain for disgracing womanhood in our country", a female legal practitioner in an angry mood said.
"Following his admission at a press conference, Mr.Willie Knuckles must resign because his character istainted, embarrassed the office of the president, andcompromised the president's Liberian women sexualexploitation policy she promised to fight during heradministration. Knuckles can no longer be effective in the performance of his duties because of a hugecredible, confidence, trust and decency cloud," a Liberian in the US said on the internet.
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