By Stephanie M. Duncan
Nimba County Senator Samuel G. Kogar has asked the Ad Hoc Inquiry Committee of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) to postpone his appearance for one week, arguing that he was given insufficient time to prepare his defense against an 11-count complaint filed against him.
Kogar’s lawyer, Cllr. Garrison Yealue, made the request in a letter dated August 7, 2026, addressed to the chairman of the committee, Attorney Theophilus Gbeadeh.
Yealue said Kogar received notice at 5:47 p.m. on Friday instructing him to appear before the committee at 10 a.m. the following day.
According to the lawyer, the notice provided the senator with fewer than 17 hours to retain legal counsel, review the allegations and adequately prepare his defense.
Yealue argued that the short notice does not meet reasonable standards of fair hearing and natural justice, citing Article 12, Paragraph 3 of the MDR Constitution and the Liberian Constitution.
He maintained that Kogar is not seeking to evade the inquiry and remains willing to cooperate with the committee.
The lawyer therefore requested a one-week postponement and asked the committee to provide written confirmation of the new date and time for the senator’s appearance.
The request comes after the MDR National Executive Committee established an Ad Hoc Inquiry Committee to investigate an 11-count complaint filed against Kogar by the party’s National Vice Chair for Press and Publicity, Kelvin D.J. Mattaldi.
The complaint accuses Kogar of misconduct, defamation, misrepresentation and multiple violations of the MDR Constitution arising from his public criticism of Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung and the party’s leadership.
Mattaldi alleges that Kogar’s statements damaged the image of the MDR, undermined internal unity and violated established mechanisms for resolving disputes within the party.
The complaint also accuses Kogar of taking party grievances to the media and social media instead of using the party’s internal structures to address his concerns.
Among the matters cited in the complaint are Kogar’s remarks concerning commitments reportedly made by Vice President Koung during the June 27, 2026 convocation of Cuttington University College.
The complaint also references a subsequent Facebook post by Kogar concerning Koung’s honorary doctorate.
Mattaldi reportedly relied on media reports, statements from MDR supporters in Nimba County and internal party communications as evidence in support of the allegations.
Acting under Article XIII of the MDR Constitution, the party’s National Executive Committee constituted the Ad Hoc Inquiry Committee to investigate the allegations and recommend whether disciplinary action should be taken against the senator.
The latest dispute comes amid heightened political discussions within the MDR ahead of the 2029 elections.
Last week, Kogar reportedly said he would not reject a request to contest the 2029 presidential elections as the running mate of any presidential candidate.
The statement triggered a reaction from members of the MDR Youth Wing, who reportedly demanded that the senator give them a red cap.
Kogar’s request for additional time now puts the inquiry on hold pending the committee’s response to his lawyer’s request for a postponement.
The committee has yet to publicly announce whether it will grant the requested one-week extension.
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