Circumstances surrounding the deaths of two government officials, Deputy Minister John Yormie of the Ministry of National Security, and Mr. Isaac Vaye, Deputy Minister for Technical Services at the Ministry of Public Works; continue to raise eyebrows in many circles.

Last Friday, appearing on the Radio Veritas phone-in talk show, ‘Topical Issue’, Justice Minister Cllr. L. Koboi Johnson denied ever receiving any formal complaint on the mysterious disappearance and deaths of the two officials from their relatives.

However, the wife of the late Deputy Minister Issac Vaye, who immediately phoned-in on the show, outrightly rejected the Justice Minister’s assertion, and accused him of misinforming the listening public and Liberians in general.

Mrs. Vaye said the minister was officially informed immediately after the disappearance of the two men. She even added that a copy of the minister’s response to the families’ complaint letter on the matter was in her possession.

But the Minister vehemently rejected the widow’s claims and challenged her to produce a copy of the letter if indeed she really has such.

Quizzed by the host of the show whether he thinks his signature purported to be on the letter was forged, Minister Johnson said he does not think so, but said that at the Ministry of Justice, he works closely with four deputy ministers.

On the night of June 4, 2003, the two deputy ministers were picked up from their respective homes by government security personnel, said to be acting upon the orders of Gen. Benjamin Yeaten (Director of the Special Security Service), and taken to an unknown destination. The men were said to have apparently been part of a reported failed coup attempt against the then President Taylor.