Monrovia, Liberia – August 21, 2025 — Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Sr. has clarified his absence from the August 15 retirement ceremony of former Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh, saying it was due to official duties in Ghana.
The clarification follows a FrontPage Africa report suggesting his absence signaled malice. In a statement Thursday, Koung’s office said he traveled to Accra on August 13 to represent President Joseph Boakai at a state funeral held the same day as the retirement program.
“This circumstance was beyond his control and should not be misconstrued as disrespect to the former Chief Justice or the Judiciary,” the statement noted.
The Vice President stressed his consistent attendance at Supreme Court functions during Justice Yuoh’s tenure, as well as his personal relationship with her family. He recently attended the opening of a children’s park by Justice Yuoh’s daughter.
VP Koung has since extended his appreciation to the former Chief Justice for her service and reaffirmed his support for the Judiciary.
