Former Unity Party National Chairman Wilmot Paye has launched another blistering attack on Deputy House Speaker Thomas P. Fallah, and others.
Mr. Paye accused the Lofa County lawmaker of having a longstanding character associated with theft, greed and corruption.
In a strongly worded statement, Mr. Paye suggested that Fallah’s changing political alliances, and current relationship with the governing establishment do not erase allegations he has previously raised against the deputy speaker.
“A thief is nothing, but a thief. No fundamental change has occurred simply by a shift in position,” Paye wrote on his Facebook page.
He further argued that changing political sides should not, provide protection from accountability, adding: “A thief six years ago is still a thief today,” a statement that not referenced Fallah, but those who have been accused for stealing from the country.
Mr. Paye also took an apparent swipe at members of his own Unity Party, writing: “Even my Unity Party people know this simple truth.”
He has previously criticized Fallah, and his National Independent Movement for Boakai (NIMBO), questioning his political intentions. He called for accountability over his past public service.
In June, Paye publicly warned Unity Party officials about NIMBO, and criticized Fallah’s decision to operate an independent political movement while supporting President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
Fallah, meanwhile, has positioned NIMBO as a movement supporting Boakai, and has called for it to be treated as an integral partner within the governing political establishment.
Fallah, a Lofaian like Boakai, has also continued publicly supporting the administration, including recently commending the President’s address at the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
Paye’s latest remarks are being interpreted as political accusations, and should not be interpreted as proof that Fallah committed theft or corruption. The available information does not establish a criminal conviction supporting Paye’s characterization.
The statement nevertheless highlights continuing political tensions surrounding Fallah’s alignment with Pres. Boakai and NIMBO, particularly among figures who have questioned his political transition, and growing relationship with the governing establishment.
As of publication, Fallah had not been quoted here responding directly to Paye’s latest statement.
