Since the inception of the Weah-led administration in early 2018, the National Security Agency (NSA) and its Director, James Henric Pearson, have been targets of political threats and smear campaigns by either former or active officials of government, in the face of knowing the fact that the agency and its staff are apolitical.
After the December 8, 2020 senatorial by-election, Director Pearson and the NSA were accused of tapping into their cyber intelligence and altering the results of the polls in favor of the main opposition, the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), and as a result created a picture as if the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) performed dismally poor.
The allegations were so grave to the extent that Director Pearson was accused of sponsoring the campaign of now Senator Abe Darius Dillon, then candidate of the CPP, doctoring a fake WhatsApp communication between the NSA Director and the Standard Bearer of the All Liberian Party (ALP), Benoni Wilfred Urey.
After the Hot Pepper carried out an independent investigation, it was uncovered that the allegations were nothing more than ill-fated and an attempt to convince His Excellency President George M. Weah to dismiss the director for reasons best known to those who want him out.
Barely seven months since the fake news against the NSA and Director Pearson was paraded with by individuals who have little or no regard for intelligence, mainly on social media, the same usual fake news is being directed at the NSA and Director Pearson again…this time by the former Deputy Information Minister for Public Affairs, Eugene L. Fahngon.
In June 2021, President Weah dismissed Fahngon for spreading false information regarding the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic currently ravaging the country. Fahngon’s derogatory remarks against the AstraZeneca vaccines and the government’s fight against the disease were spewed on his regular Facebook live podcast. However, it seems like Fahngon has learned nothing from his misfortune, as he continues to use the same medium to spill lies against the nation’s intelligence community.
A few days ago, Fahngon, too, alleged that the NSA was heavily involved with rigging the December 8 senatorial elections, and if Director Pearson is not dismissed it may be impossible to hold a free, fair and transparent election in 2023.
He alleged that Jake Joseph Brown, who was dismissed by the agency, was sent to the NSA by President Weah himself as an eye in the cyber intelligence department, but was suspended for two months before the December 8, 2020 election so that Director Pearson could have reception in the department to change the election numbers in favor of the opposition.
Fahngon also alleged that Pearson and the NSA are currently investigating President Weah, Minister Nathaniel McGill, Minister Samuel Tweah and NPA Director Bill Tweahway, and the report of the investigation will be submitted to the United States government.
One of Fahngon’s surrogates, on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, also posted on Facebook, “Breaking overnight Deep Throat… J. Henric Pearson ‘rushed to Catholic Hospital’! Intel has it that he can’t stand the tension being mounted! We are following closely for more details!”
Undertaking its normal investigations, the Hot Pepper has noticed that the allegations are similar to ones made earlier in December 2020.
As it regards Jake Brown, the Hot Pepper discovered that the NSA personnel has been involved in a criminal conspiracy to protect illicit Chinese miners who are into dredge mining, which has been banned by the Ministry of Lands and Mines.
Brown was accused by officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) of always being in the habit of protecting the illicit miners and obstructing police function each time they are about to seize the company’s dredging machines, in the name of being an NSA operative. Based on his posture that the LNP would not carry out their function, the LNP officers video-recorded Jake and his men obstructing them and allowed the video to go viral.
The NSA was tipped and Jake was investigated. Based on the findings of the investigation, Jake was found guilty of disobeying the NSA Code of Ethics, etc., and was subsequently dismissed.
Furthermore, Jake Brown has committed what could send him behind prison bars for several years by leaking out the agency’s documents and other hardcore information without authorization to a mere talk show host, Fahngon. Fahngon, on one of his podcast, was seen displaying Brown’s letter of appointment, ID card, batch number, license to carry secret arm, etc.
The Hot Pepper is informed that, no matter the circumstances, an NSA agent is not allowed to release any information as it regards the agency or its operations. However, Brown has elected to disregard the agency’s ethics and publicize all the information he has. This, according to information, renders him unfit to serve that intelligence entity.
The NSA values candor; it does plenty of clandestine stuffs but wants candidates who display a high level of candor before and during the hiring process. Recruiters who are looking for hot prospects want candidates who have lived their lives with high degree of honesty and integrity. Unfortunately, this is not the situation with Brown.
As it regards investigating the President and officials of his government, the Hot Pepper investigation revealed that there is no on-going investigation on the President or any of the named government officials, as insinuated by Fahngon. Even though the NSA has the right to investigate anyone, including the President, US ambassador, etc., the President of the Republic is not under any investigation by anyone whatsoever.
Regarding Director Pearson being hospitalized on Wednesday, a source informed the Hot Pepper that the Chief of Intel entered his office a few minutes to 8:00 a.m. and left his office a few minutes to 5:00 p.m. in good health and in active state of mind. Where Fahngon and his cohorts are generating the fake information that has the propensity of bringing down little Monrovia and who are those feeding them with the lies remain a mystery.
A Washington informant told the Hot Pepper that the United States intelligence community is closely following the happenings in Liberia, with a number of agents on ground to authenticate intels leaving and entering the country. The source authenticated the Hot Pepper investigation that the US has not sanctioned any investigation on President Weah or his cabinet members.
Security experts who spoke to the Hot Pepper on the matter expressed dismay in the way people who once served the nation go about spewing lies on matters they know nothing about. They noted that the intelligence community is an integrated society that share information with ally countries; as such, a nation with agents in another country does not need agents of that country to feed them with information.
They warned that constantly politicizing the nation’s house of intelligence will do no good.