MOVEE Condemns Arrest of Political Leader Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr., Demands Free and Speedy Trial
Monrovia, June 26, 2025 – The Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE) has issued a strong condemnation of what it describes as the “illegal and arbitrary arrest and detention” of its Political Leader and Standard Bearer, Ambassador Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr.
In a press statement released on Thursday, MOVEE described the early morning operation by officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) as politically motivated and intended to intimidate opposition voices. According to the party, police officers besieged Ambassador Kemayah’s residence around 3:00 AM on June 26 in what the party termed as a “scaring and panicking” manner.
MOVEE asserts that the charges against Ambassador Kemayah—centered on the alleged mismanagement and distribution of 29,000 bags of rice donated by the Saudi Arabian Government-are “false, misleading,” and part of a larger campaign by the Unity Party-led government to suppress opposition.
“This brazen act of political witch-hunt, executed through frivolous charges and baseless allegations, is a glaring attack on our democracy,” the statement reads. “It exposes the UP Government’s attempts to clamp down on opposition leaders in the country.”
The party criticized the use of state institutions to target political dissent and accused President Joseph Boakai’s administration of steering the country toward tyranny and dictatorship. It also linked the arrest to recent accomplishments of Ambassador Kemayah, particularly the graduation of 41 women and girls from his vocational skills training program aimed at empowering Liberian women.
MOVEE further questioned the credibility of Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin, head of the Assets Recovery Team (ART), who is reportedly leading the case. The party accused Cllr. Martin of mismanaging budgetary allocations to the ART and failing to pay staff salaries, citing allegations of corruption made against him by former ART members who resigned.
While calling for a free, fair, and speedy trial, MOVEE welcomed the release of Ambassador Kemayah and thanked former President George Manneh Weah, members of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), legal representatives, and supporters who stood in solidarity with their political leader.
“We will not allow this evil and corrupt UP Regime to use Ambassador Kemayah to justify their fake fight against corruption,” the party declared. “While we respect and support the rule of law, we will protect our own against frivolous charges for political scores.”
The statement was signed by MOVEE’s National Secretary-General, Jeremiah Edison Paye, and approved by National Chairman Prince G. Albert
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