Efforts by members of the Female Lawyers Association of Liberia to put to an end sexual harassment by older men to young girls is said to be on the rise, as individuals who suppose to help in the process are themselves involved in the act.
Various media institutions in the country have unearth a story on sex scandal involving senior official of Government, Willis Knuckles as reported by the FRONTPAGE AFRICA see below:
Liberian Government ‘Official Gone Wild’: Sex Scandal May Force Knuckles to Resign By Rodney D. Sieh, rsieh@FrontPageAfrica.com
An age-old culture of sexual impunity has found its way into the administration of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf – one that could lead to the resignation or dismissal of one of the president’s closest official and advisor, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs-designate, Willis Knuckles, FrontPageAfrica has learned.
Knuckles makes his presentation to lawmakers during his confirmation hearing for the Ministry of Public Works post. Knuckles was confirmed but later transferred to the Ministry of State
Damning new documents and images obtained by FPA shows the Minister involved in a sex encounter with (what appears to be) two young Liberian girls. FPA has chosen not to publish the photographs because of its graphic and explicit nature.
When contacted Saturday, Knuckles declined comment. However, a close family source confirmed to FPA that members of Knuckles family are aware of the photos existence and they have already been distributed to family members and close friends. FPA is still making all efforts to get a response from Knuckles.
"The family is totally disgusted and embarrassed about the whole thing," said a close relative of the Minister, who told FPA that the photos most likely were taken sometime before February last year, when Knuckles was still residing at his old residence in Congotown.
The family member in Monrovia confided to FPA Sunday, that the photos were taken in the bedroom of Knuckles old residence in Congtown, but questioned the motive of the timing of the photos release now. Asked whether he thought the photos may have been super imposed, the relative said judging from the scenes in the photograph, it looks like the bedroom of Knuckles former residence in Congotown and appears to be authentic.
The relative said Knuckles had already confided to family members and his boss, President Sirleaf that some damaging and embarrassing photos would be coming out about him soon, suggesting that the young women in the photos were trying to blackmail the minister in a bid to keep the photos from the public eye.
"There are more photos than the one being circulated, but these are the only photos that do not show the young women's faces, said the relative, who preferred anonymity for this story. The relative added that the photos were most likely taken with Knuckles consent.
President Sirleaf, who completed a week long visit to the U.S. Saturday and departed the U.S. for Great Britain is said to be aware that the photos exist but had not seen the images as of Saturday, according to an Executive Mansion source.
Last year, President Sirleaf drew attention to the rising levels of sexual exploitation of women and teenage girls in Liberia. The growing trend toward transactional sex between older, financially stable men and young women and even younger girls drew Sirleaf’s attention as she issued a warning to perpetrators in December 2006. "To those of you who are privileged or attained successes in businesses and are in our communities, and to those of you who represent the international community, I urge you not to use your wealth and power to sexually exploit children and women. It is an unacceptable behaviour, and a major challenge currently facing all of us," the president said.
Despite a peace agreement in 2003 that ended the particularly brutal 14-year civil war, during which fighters sexually assaulted girls and women and sometimes used them as "sex slaves", these types of violent abuse were still common, according to Lois Bruthus, head of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia (AFELL), a leading advocacy group. An estimated 85 percent of the 658 rape survivors reporting to the hospital were aged under 18, while 48 percent were aged between 5 and 12 years. "In more than 90 percent of the cases involving children, they were raped by someone they knew," Medicin Sans Frontier (MSF) said.
Rights activists point to poverty as the main reason why girls were being exploited. Activists also point to the fact that cash-strapped parents sometimes extort money from the perpetrators to privately settle the case without going through the courts system. The last survey conducted back in 1992 reported that Liberia has an unemployment rate of 85 percent and is one of the world's poorest countries, with most of the population living on less than US$1 a day, according to the World Development Index. Last year the Sirleaf administration raised to wage to $26 a month for civil servants.
Snowe Stands Accused – Again
According to the family source, family members believe that the alleged encounter was set up by Mardea White, the wife of the former speaker Edwin Melvin Snowe, who stepped down from his post after a long wrangle with members of parliament. The Knuckles family believe that Snowe and his wife were the masterminds in setting the minister up. However, sources close to the minister informed FPA that the photos were in fact old photos and are only being drummed up now by Snowe and his group to draw attention away from his resignation and pending investigation for corruption.
Efforts to reach Snowe Saturday was unsuccessful, but his chief of staff, Darius Dillon told FPA that it is unfair to draw the speaker in Knuckles alleged immoral behavior. “I think the question Mr. Knuckles should be asking is, ‘is the immoral person in the photo me?’, said Dillon.
Knuckles is yet to comment publicly on the controversy.Dillon said it was not Snowe and his wife who took Knuckles clothes off and forced him in the encounter. “Is it knuckles in the photo? that is the substance of the matter, it is not who set it up. He went and did his immoral act now he must bear the consequences,” Said Dillon.
Sex scandals have led to the downfall of numerous politicians. In 1996, Dick Morris, best known for managing former president Bill Clinton’s successful 1996 bid for re-election. Morris’ tenure on that campaign was cut short two months before the election when it was revealed that he had had an extramarital affair with a prostitute and allowed her to listen in on conversations with the President. Clinton himself was impeached by the House of Representative, but survived the Senate vote.
Photos heating up discussions, reactions
BLOG COMMENT
“I have nothing against what a man does in the privacy of his home; however the people entrusted with public office are not just any Joe Blow from the street. They are supposed to be persons of high MORAL character. "
A blogger in the Concern Liberians chatroomIn Monrovia, many Liberians are said to be finding it difficult to decipher whether the photo itself is genuine. The photos are said to be distributed in marketplaces and forwarded via email across cyberspace. But many are yet to be convinced about the authenticity of the photos. “The perception here is that many feel the photo may have been super-imposed,” says Moses Tamba, who spoke with FPA by phone from his residence in Sinkor Saturday.
In cyberspace, the photos have taken on a life of its own drawing heated discussions from Liberians far and wide.
In the popular Concerned Liberians Chat room, the reaction appears to be mixed. “The picture is hugely disappointing and a great embarrassment to the Office of the President. In a country where there is a history of women being exploited, the knowledge of such a high government official involved with women, none of whom is his wife raises some very serious questions,” notes one blogger.Another blogger writes: “I have nothing against what a man does in the privacy of his home; however the people entrusted with public office are not just any Joe Blow from the street. They are supposed to be persons of high MORAL character. There is INDEED a different standard for them. As such, they they must exhibit private and public behavior that sets them apart. If Liberia is going to change, we must aspire to this!”
The photos for some could be a sign of security breach by the senior official. “An official or high security officer can get drunk or be drugged and spill state secrets with spending time with secret agent of another country,” one blogger notes.
Snowe hints at ‘Smoking Gun’: Is this it?
In a resignation letter sent to his peers last week, Snowe hinted that a senior minister in the administration was behind the quest to remove him from power.
Snowe did not name the minister but sources close to the speaker confirm to FPA that Knuckles is the minister being accused and who Snowe believes was behind the bribery of the lawmakers who spearheaded Snowe’s downfall. The former speaker has given the official one week to reveal his identity and confess. “If he does not make public everything he knows about this alleged bribery at the House of Representatives, I will expose him. “It’s a clear warning to that person. Come out in one week, tell the Liberian people what you know about this bribery issue and resign as Minister or else…”
Knuckles is one of Sirleaf's closest advisorsFPA has been informed that Snowe may have used the photos as a bait to get Knuckles to use his influence with the president to stop the corruption probe of his tenure at the Liberian Petroleum Refinery Corporation. But Knuckles reportedly informed Snowe that the issue had already drawn the attention of the international community and it was pretty much late to stop it. “Knuckles hands were tied. He pretty much told Snowe to do what he wanted with the photos,” said a source close to the Knuckles family.
The issue of immorality has plagued Liberia for years, government officials since the days of William V.S. Tubman, William Tolbert and Samuel Kanyon Doe have been alleged to have taken advantage of young Liberian girls. Current senior officials are also said to be heavily preying on young and underage girls who are struggling to make ends meet. The inauguration of the first woman head of state was seen by many as a sign for the better and the hope that it would bring closure to an ugly act that has destroyed the lives of many of the country’s young girls.
FPA gathered late Saturday that Knuckles has been consulting with family members about his next move and has already notified the president of his intent to step down or have his nomination to the post withdrawn, but was told by the President to hold on until she returns to Monrovia Sunday. Whether Knuckles steps down or not, the images have shed light on an issue that has boggled Liberians for quite sometime and one which could draw some much needed attention to the plight of young Liberian girls and women living in dire straits.
