Monrovia – In a revelation sending shockwaves through Liberia’s political and media landscape, U.S.-based Liberian broadcaster Stanton Witherspoon has openly admitted that he and several prominent political commentators deliberately fabricated and amplified false narratives linking former President George Manneh Weah to a series of high-profile deaths and disappearances during his administration.
By: Julius Konton, contributing writer
Speaking during a recent episode of his widely followed program, “Spoon Talk,” Witherspoon confessed that the persistent public allegations and accusations that Weah ordered or concealed the deaths of government auditors and was connected to the disappearance of the three West Point boys were not based on evidence, but on a politically motivated communication strategy.
“We framed routine deaths, natural causes, medical complications, accidents as targeted killings,” Witherspoon admitted. “We wanted to damage Weah politically. It was coordinated. It was deliberate. And we knew exactly how the public would react”, he explained.
Weaponizing Public Fear
The allegations emerged at a time when Liberia was grappling with severe economic pressures.
Between 2018 and 2021, inflation soared above 26%, unemployment remained above 80% among youth, and corruption remained the leading public concern.
Political strategists, Witherspoon said, knew that the public was already emotionally charged and distrustful of the government.
“People were frustrated. So we took advantage of that,” he said. “We amplified every tragedy as if it were a state-sponsored murder. We turned suspicion into certainty.”
The Auditor Deaths: Tragedy Turned into Political Ammunition
During Weah’s term, at least four government auditors died under different circumstances ranging from traffic accidents to health complications.
The incidents sparked widespread panic and protests, fueled largely by commentary from influential media personalities.
Witherspoon now admits that he and others intentionally mischaracterized these events as assassinations.
“We didn’t wait for autopsies. We didn’t wait for facts. We simply claimed it was murder and we pushed it hard”, he narrated.
Smearing Forensic Experts
In a further twist, Witherspoon acknowledged that the campaign also involved attacking reputable forensic pathologists, including Dr. Benedict Kullie, who conducted several official autopsies.
He said he and others knew the medical examiners were simply reporting scientific findings, but they chose to portray them as political operatives shielding the government.
“We accused experts of being paid agents. It wasn’t true. We knew it wasn’t true. But it fed the narrative we needed,” Witherspoon said.
A Coordinated Disinformation Strategy
According to Witherspoon, the aim was simple: undermine George Weah’s credibility, erode public trust in his security institutions, drive political panic and anger and influence voter sentiment ahead of key elections.
Analysts note that the tactic mirrors global trends in political misinformation.
A 2023 UNESCO study showed that 70% of political disinformation campaigns in developing democracies originate from domestic actors, not foreign ones.
A Political Earthquake
Witherspoon’s confession has ignited fierce debate across Liberia and within the diaspora.
Supporters of the former president say the revelations prove that Weah was the victim of a “systematic character assassination campaign.”
Critics argue the confession exposes a deeper rot: the weaponization of media influence, the erosion of public trust, and the dangerous power of unchecked commentators in Africa’s young democracies.
What comes next politically and legally remains uncertain.
But one thing is clear: Witherspoon’s words have reopened one of the most contentious chapters of Liberia’s recent political history, raising troubling questions about truth, manipulation, and the future of public discourse.
