Claim #1: “ A huge security presence is around my house.”
Claim #2: “CDC Youth League Vice Chairman for Administration, Alvin Wesseh, arrested by the LNP in link to the Fire Incident at Capitol Building.”
Source: Alvin C. Wesseh/The Closing Argument
Verdict: There is no evidence police visited Wesseh's home and arrested him
Full Text: On January 9, 2024, Alvin Wesseh, former assistant minister for Regional Development Research and Extension at the Ministry of Agriculture, posted on Facebook claiming there was a huge security presence around his house. He did not give details as to why the police had allegedly gone over to his place.
Also, the Closing Argument, an online media platform, posted on its Facebook page on said date that the Liberia National Police had arrested Alvin Wesseh in connection to the December 18, 2024, fire incident at the Capitol Building and seized his personal phone. Similarly, another online news platform (DN News Liberia) also made a post referencing Truth FM as the original author of the information.
This post gained social media traction with 225 reactions, 292 comments, and 18 shares, while this post about Wesseh's alleged arrest generated 99 reactions, 151 comments, and 22 shares, respectively.
In the early morning of December 18, 2024, Liberians and the world woke up to the shock of the burning of Liberia’s historic Capitol Building, which serves as the seat of the country’s Legislative Branch. Immediately following the incident, President Boakai instructed the security agencies to investigate the matter to establish the cause of the fire, thus expressing frustration.
Embattled speaker J. Fonati Koffa and Saah Foko were among people investigated by the police ever since the incident, in addition to a $5,000 reward for anyone who aids the police with information that could lead to the possible arrest of individuals or circumstances leading to the fire.
On January 8, 2025, IG Coleman confirmed that the fire at the Capitol Building was an “arson” and subsequently announced, “Contacts with persons of interest have been established and the law will take its course.”
Verification: When contacted by Spoon Talk Show, Wesseh said he had received text messages and encountered armed security personnel, including members of the Liberia National Police, at his residence who disclosed their intent to detain him until the State of the Nation Address.
“When I came home, I met a different kind of security agent but I could identify members of the Liberia National Police and they were armed. Everything they were saying was to arrest and be kept to an unknown place until the State of the Nation Address,” he stated.
However, police authorities were seen to have zero knowledge about the officers' presence at Wesseh's home as alleged.
"I do not know anything about Alvin," Cecelia Clarke said in a January 13, 2024, interview with TSM about the situation.
Wesseh also denied being arrested on the January 9, 2024, edition of the Spoon Talk.
"I am indoors; I was not arrested." We also note that the post regarding Wesseh’s arrest was taken down by the management of the closing argument a few hours after it was posted.
Conclusion: Our research could not find any evidence to authenticate the claims.
