Liberia: I Was given false name 'Abraham Fofanna' Tortured to Implicate George Weah and Others Treason Suspect Testifies
December 13, 2007 Precious S. Seboe

As the treason case involving Andrew Dorbor and Charles Julu continues at the Criminal Court "A", Temple of Justice, startling revelations have begun to emerge with the names of prominent politicians.

At the call of the case Wednesday, Defense first witness Col. Andrew Dorbor took the entire courtroom by surprise when he testified that the names of Liberty Party Political Leader Cllr. Charles Brumskine, Congress for Democratic Change Standard Bearer George Weah, Presidential National Security Advisor Dr. H. Boima Fahnbulleh and Dr. Togba Nah Tipoteh of the Alliance for Peace and Democracy were given to him by the NSA to be implicated in the coup plot.

He told the crowded court room that the National Security Agency tortured him in detention to also implicate the following individuals in a coup plot: Joe Wylie, former Deputy Defense Minister; Cllr. H. Varney G. Sherman, Standard Bearer of the Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia (COTOL); Rep. Edwin Snowe, Senator Prince Y. Johnson, Professor Alhaji G.V. Kromah, Edward Slanger, former Maritime Commissioner; and Thomas Yaya Nimely, former Foreign Minister.

Dressed in a maroon safari suit, defendant Dorbor said when he went to look for his daughter in the Ivory Coast, he was arrested by the NSA personnel and subsequently brought to Liberia.

In his testimony in chief, the defense first witness testified that while in detention at the NSA, he was given the name 'Abraham Fofannah' by the NSA personnel to avoid attracting public attention of his plight.

He further narrated that he was told by the NSA that he (Dorbor) was not under arrest, but he was only needed to serve as state witness.

Continuing, defendant Dorbor said in order to make this happen, the NSA asked him to sign a document, headlined: "Request for Protective Custody" which he had earlier refused to do.

While in prison, Dorbor said he remembered one night, prosecution first witness, who is also Chief of General Investigation Nelson Jallah at the NSA, went to him, flashing light in his eyes, and told him that their chief James Pearson wanted to see him.

"I refused to get out and held on to the bars of the cell; Jallah told his guards to force me out; he (Jallah) got a piece of plank and began to beat me with it. I fell and asked what have I done for which you are killing me?" Dorbor narrated with tears running down his cheeks.

He alleged that Jallah's bodyguards took off his trousers, and he "Jallah" placed a lighted candle between his legs.

After he revealed that the candle was lit between his legs, Dorbor invited the jurors to see the scars of the burning candle left between his legs.

Although the jury did not yield to the suspects' invitation, Dorbor narrated further that because of the agony he suffered and threats of torture, he had no option but to sign the document claiming that he was in protective custody.

The witness said he never wrote any other document except the one he signed for "protective custody' which, he pointed out, was given him by the NSA.

"After I signed the document, they brought me two lists - one with the politicians and the other with former Armed Forces of Liberia officers including Charles Julu, and others," Dorbor added.

He ended his testimony by saying that the NSA destroyed his house and took away his pigs.

The trial continues with defendant Dorbor answering questions of direct examinations.

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