Liberia: Kogar Condemns Alleged Ai Images of VP Koung
NIMBA COUNTY — Nimba County Senator Samuel G. Kogar has condemned the circulation of images purportedly generated or manipulated with artificial intelligence to ridicule Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, amid continuing controversy over reports surrounding the Vice President's experience at Brussels Airport.
Kogar described the circulation of the images as an unacceptable development in Liberia's political discourse and urged those sharing them to stop.
"I strongly condemn the growing practice of creating and circulating AI-generated or manipulated images that portray our national leaders in humiliating and degrading situations," Kogar said.
His comments come amid public debate over reports that Koung underwent security screening while transiting through Brussels Airport.
An eyewitness account circulating in Liberian media alleged that the Vice President was subjected to heightened screening, including being asked to lift his shirt. However, those claims have not been independently corroborated by Brussels Airport authorities or Belgian officials.
Koung has disputed aspects of the reports, saying he deliberately used the regular passenger route through the airport to visit duty-free shops.
"No shoes, no jacket was removed," the Vice President said in response to claims surrounding the incident.
Against the backdrop of the controversy, Kogar said political disagreements should not be used to justify the creation or circulation of manipulated images intended to humiliate public officials.
"We can disagree politically while still respecting human dignity and the office he occupies," Kogar said, urging those circulating the images to remove them.
At the same time, the Nimba County Senator called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide an official account of what happened at Brussels Airport and clarify whether appropriate diplomatic and protocol procedures were followed.
"I believe the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should provide the public with clarity on what happened and whether the appropriate diplomatic and protocol procedures were followed," he stated.
Kogar said any concerns surrounding the Vice President's treatment abroad should be addressed through established diplomatic channels rather than through political attacks or manipulated online content.
"This is not about politics or personalities. It is about respect for our national institutions and ensuring that Liberian officials are treated with the appropriate courtesy and professionalism abroad," he said.
The controversy has brought two issues into the public debate: the circumstances surrounding Koung's airport screening and concerns about manipulated digital content in Liberia's political discourse.
While Kogar described the images as AI-generated or manipulated, no independent technical verification establishing how the images were produced has been made public.
Further clarification from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brussels Airport or Belgian authorities could help establish the circumstances surrounding the Vice President's passage through the airport and whether the screening involved procedures beyond those normally applied to travelers.
Read the original article on New Dawn.