Justice Forum Liberia (JFL) is requesting the Senate’s Committee on National Security, Defense, Intelligence and Veteran Affairs, headed by Lofa County Senator Steve Zargo, to declare the National Security Agency (NSA) Assistant Director for Cyber Crimes and Intelligence, Joseph Jake Brown, a non-governmental material. Brown is also the National Chairman of the defunct Plebeians “Common People of Liberia”.
JFL Executive Director, Maxson S. Kpakio, said he wants the Senate’s Committee on National Security, Defense, Intelligence and Veteran Affairs to render Brown morally unfit to occupy any public office for his involvement in the circulation of sexual content on social media, which reveals the molestation of a minor. He also requests that the Senate’s committee ensures that the NSA Assistant Director is prosecuted.
JFL’s request to the Senate comes weeks after the House of Representatives passed a motion to have Brown incarcerated at the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach). The plenary of the House of Representatives overwhelmingly took the decision following a motion from Lofa County’s district #3 Representative, Clarence C. Massaquoi, for the controversial NSA operative to be incarcerated for three days for lying under oath of being in the employ of the NSA.
Representative Massaquoi stated, “Mr. Speaker, on such a graved issue we expect our witnesses appearing before this body will fall not short of the truth based on the oath that they took before the people’s representatives. Mr. Brown, hasn’t deviated, hasn’t broken that sacred oath that he took by presenting to us here that he’s in the employ of the NSA. The Director of the NSA is here and has reported to us, and not just on the basis of the verbal presentation by the director.”
The Lofa County lawmaker continued, “Because of that act of misleading this august body, Mr. Brown should be sent to jail for 72 hours, and that Mr. Brown deposits into government’s revenue Liberian dollars $4,999¢, and a flagged receipt indicating the deposit of the said amount be presented to the office of the Chief Clerk, who will furnish the office with the evidence. And such a payment should be made not later than tomorrow, being Wednesday, the 4th of August 2021. Additionally, that he will publish in three local dailies an apology to this august body for misleading us, for three days, beginning Wednesday, August 4th, 2021, and copies of those papers presented to the secretarial. If I can be seconded.”
But in a communication dated 9 August 2021, under the signature of JFL Executive Director, Maxson S. Kpakio, and addressed to the Chairman on the Senate’s Committee on National Security, Defense, Intelligence and Veteran Affairs, Senator Steve Zargo, JFL noted that the gravity of Brown’s action calls for his removal from any position of public service, and entreats the Senate’s committee to render a vote of no-confidence in the NSA Assistant Director.
According to JFL, Brown’s action contravenes his Term of Reference (ToR) as Assistant Director for Cyber Crimes and Intelligence. JFL pointed out that Brown has been found to be a culprit of the same crimes he should have been preventing; as such, he should be dismissed and made to face the full weight of the law.
JFL said, “Hon. Zargo, because of the gravity of this matter, especially given that the very individual who is involved, Mr. Brown, is holding a position which is supposed to be fighting the very crime he committed, we are asking your committee to have this man dismissed with immediate effect. Under no condition should this man, who is happy to abuse a kid, be allowed to live on taxpayer’s money and at the same time serve in such position.”
JFL disclosed that a similar communication has been sent to Juan D. Mertinez, Political Officer, US embassy, to place Brown on US watch list of child molesters. It is reported that Joseph Jake Brown is a former Officer of the United States Marines Corps.
JFL’s communication also seeks the Chairman on the Senate’s Committee on National Security, Senator Steve Zargo, to engage the US embassy on ascertaining relevant information regarding Joseph Jake Brown’s conduct while serving in the US Marines.
Since the circulation of the oral sex video of a minor was posted on his social media (Facebook) account, the Assistant NSA Director for Cyber Crimes and Intelligence has been publicly criticized for his unlawful action.
In the video, a minor, believed to be under the age of 9, is engaged in oral sex with an unidentified man. This situation has created serious uproar among several civil society organizations (CSO), which have called for Brown’s immediate dismissal and subsequent prosecution.