Summary: Social media posts claim that the newly appointed spokesperson of the Liberia National Police, Madam Cecelia Clarke, is the first female to be appointed to that position. We checked this claim and found it to be incorrect.
Claims have surfaced on social media, mainly Facebook, that Cecelia Clarke is the first female spokesperson of the Liberia National Police. This viral claim emerged after Clarke’s appointment and subsequent unveiling to the public on May 1.
Some of the claims can be found here, here, here, here, and here.
The Claim
Veriety Online news posted on May 1: “Journalist Cecelia G. Clarke, who served as the President of the Reporters Association of Liberia (RAL) and Director of Television Programs at the Liberia Broadcasting System, will replace Moses Carter who has been serving in that post since April 2018. Ms. Clarke is the first woman to serve in this role.”
Rating Justification
To fact-check this claim, we conducted several online searches and found an article dated September 2, 2005, titled, “Liberia’s former fighters turn to violent crime”.
The article highlighted a statement made by the then Police Spokesperson, Yvonne Stewart, reassuring residents of the capital that officers of the international police, backed by UN soldiers, had started night patrols throughout the city for more than a month.
We also found an article written by Princeton University which stated that former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf appointed Asatu Bah-Kenneth as spokesperson of the Liberia National Police after taking office in 2006.
To further authenticate the claim, our fact-checking desk also contacted Asatu Bah-Kenneth via text. She confirmed her role as a spokesperson of the Liberia National Police in 2005.
According to Madam Bah-Kenneth, she served as Assistant Director for Press and Public Affairs where she became the spokesperson of the LNP.
In her reply to our inquiry, she said: “Yes, I served in that capacity before. I was appointed by Madam Sirleaf as Assistant Director for Press and Public Affairs and I became the spokesperson of the LNP. Col. Yvonne Stewart Bai, was also the Deputy Director for Press and Public Affairs which she served as the spokesperson of the LNP under President Bryant.”
Conclusion
Based on the research conducted by our fact-checking desk, we conclude that the claim that Madam Clark is the first female spokesperson of the LNP is incorrect.
This report is produced with funding from the USAID Media Activity. The funder has No say in the editorial decisions leading to the production of this content
