Published: January 5, 2026
ZWEDRU, Grand Gedeh County — A bitter public feud has broken out between Grand Gedeh County Sen. Zoe Emmanuel Pennue and former Montserrado County District 8 Rep. Acarous Moses Gray over whether a 2021 pledge by ex-President George Manneh Weah to a Zwedru church was ever delivered—or allegedly diverted.
The dispute centers on a Feb. 24, 2021 visit by Weah to Elim Chapel Assemblies of God Church, during which the then president pledged support for construction of the church edifice. Pennue recently asserted the promise was never honored and said he would apologize to the church on Weah’s behalf.
“I will go and apologize to the AG people after the former president lied to them,” Pennue said. “I will give them a small thing so they can pray for me.”
Gray swiftly rejected that account, accusing Pennue of misleading the public and alleging that Weah provided US$25,000 for the church that never reached its intended destination. Gray claimed the funds were instead diverted by Pennue for personal use.
“The central issue remains this: you received US$25,000 intended for a church and failed to account for it,” Gray said. “Tell us what you did with the church money.”
Pennue flatly denied the allegation, insisting he never received any funds from Weah for the church or for any other purpose. He dismissed Gray’s claims as politically motivated and aimed at shielding the former president and the Coalition for Democratic Change.
What began as a dispute over a church pledge quickly escalated into a wider exchange of accusations and personal attacks, with both men revisiting their political pasts.
Gray rejected Pennue’s portrayal of his legislative history, saying he served as an administrative assistant during the Interim Arrangement period from 2002 to 2005 and later chaired a legislative committee that exercised oversight authority over Pennue.
“I chaired a committee that placed you under my legislative authority,” Gray said. “That is the record.”
Gray also challenged Pennue to produce evidence of a single bill he sponsored that was enacted into law, promising a public apology if such proof is presented. He further noted that Pennue lost a prior Senate bid before winning in the 2020 midterm elections on the CDC ticket.
Pennue responded with personal insults, alleging that Gray once worked as a bag carrier and office cleaner for lawmakers on Capitol Hill, claims Gray declined to address, calling them distractions from the substantive issue.
“I will not respond to the rest of your remarks,” Gray said. “They reflect an absence of ideas, replaced instead with noise.”
The Elim Chapel Assemblies of God Church has not publicly commented on the dispute and has not confirmed whether it received any funds related to the alleged pledge. Neither side has produced documentary evidence to substantiate or refute the claim of a US$25,000 donation.
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