By Darious Dapae
Sinoe County
GREENVILLE, Sinoe County — A confrontation involving Sinoe County Attorney Atty. Mmonbeydo Nadine Joah, County Superintendent Hon. Yantee Mah and Chief of Staff Cornelius Johnson at the Sinoe County Administrative Building has triggered conflicting accounts over what led to the incident and who became physically involved.
The dispute reportedly grew out of a labor-related complaint involving a member of the business community and an attempted arrest before tensions escalated among county officials.
County Attorney Says She Was Carrying Out Official Duties
County Attorney Atty. Mmonbeydo Nadine Joah said she was recording the incident on her mobile phone when the County Superintendent arrived at the scene.
According to Joah, the Head of the Fula Business Community had filed a complaint in her office involving allegations of fraud, harassment and extortion.
She said she instructed the complainant to contact the individual at the center of the complaint and have him come to his business premises so the matter could be addressed. She said the individual later agreed to go to the police station.
Joah alleged that the situation became contentious when the Labor Commissioner arrived and argued that she could not arrest the individuals involved because they were government officials.
She said she subsequently requested police assistance and ordered the arrest of the Labor Commissioner on allegations of obstructing the process.
Joah said the County Superintendent arrived while the process was underway and ordered her to leave the administrative building. She maintained that she told him she was performing what she considered a lawful official duty and asked him not to interfere.
According to the County Attorney, the Superintendent then noticed that she was recording the confrontation and attempted to take her phone.
She alleged that while she held onto the device, Chief of Staff Cornelius Johnson punched her in the chest.
Joah also rejected suggestions that she simply slapped the Superintendent, saying the confrontation involved a struggle over her phone that later became physical.
She said her driver, identified as Sunnyboy, arrived during the confrontation and intervened before the situation could escalate further.
Chief of Staff Denies Slapping County Attorney
Chief of Staff Cornelius Johnson, speaking on Liberty Radio’s Super Evening Show, strongly disputed the County Attorney’s account.
Johnson denied slapping Joah and said the County Attorney did not slap the County Superintendent.
He said he intervened after witnessing a confrontation between the two officials because both are his superiors.
According to Johnson, he attempted to position himself between them to prevent the dispute from escalating.
Johnson alleged that he became concerned after seeing the County Attorney holding the Superintendent by his shirt. He said he initially tried to restrain himself but became involved when the confrontation turned physical.
He further alleged that Sunnyboy, whom he identified as the County Attorney’s driver and brother, attacked him and held him by the neck.
Johnson said he pushed himself free in an attempt to protect himself and denied that his actions amounted to an attack on the County Attorney.
He also rejected claims that he slapped Joah in retaliation for an alleged slap against his boss.
Dispute Over Recording
Johnson said the Superintendent had earlier summoned the County Attorney to his office following a complaint reportedly brought by the Labor Commissioner.
He said Joah initially indicated that she would come later in the evening, but the Superintendent requested that she report to his office immediately.
According to Johnson, Joah later arrived at the Labor Commissioner’s office accompanied by police officers.
He said she was recording when the Superintendent arrived and asked her to stop.
Johnson alleged that Joah refused and continued recording. He said the Superintendent then asked her to surrender the phone, but she declined.
According to Johnson, the disagreement over the device contributed to the physical confrontation that followed.
Labor Commissioner Gives Contradictory Account
Meanwhile, Sinoe County Labor Commissioner Hon. Yantee Mah offered a different version of events, directly contradicting Johnson’s account.
Mah alleged that the County Attorney slapped the County Superintendent during the confrontation.
The Labor Commissioner said the incident was connected to an earlier dispute involving his deputy, Mr. Adolphus Broh, although details of that dispute were not immediately clear from the accounts provided.
The conflicting statements from the County Attorney, Chief of Staff and Labor Commissioner leave key questions surrounding the confrontation unresolved, including what triggered the physical altercation and who initiated it.
