Monrovia - Danish journalist Mads Brugger aka “Mr. Cortzen” is drawing Ire from the government of Liberia, weeks after the release of his controversial documentary depicting corruption within Liberia’s diplomatic service.

The documentary which recently debuted at the New Directors/New Films program in New York City, is heralded as a film about the corruption between African despots and the foreign consulates that humor them, through the exchange of money, goods, and most importantly, conflict diamonds.
One film reviewer praised Brugger for keeping his distance and probing from afar while disguised as “the mysterious Mister Cortzen”.

The Indie-wire film review writes: “It’s this delicious moral maze that gives “The Ambassador” a sticky, anarchic kick. As Cortzen, Brugger makes arrangements to become the Liberian consul, first by linking up with a questionable website and, soon, major political officials. No one Cortzen encounters has any illusions about what’s going on here -- he seeks diplomatic freedom to travel from Europe to the Central African Republic (CAR), where his cover will be designing a sketchy-sounding matchbook factory, an illusion upon an illusion upon an illusion.”

Since the documentary’s release, Cortzen has drawn criticisms from various circles and made few friends while breaking others along the way.

‘That man is a rascal’

‘In April this year, FrontPageAfrica reported that Cllr. Varney Sherman, Chairman of the ruling Unity Party took Cortzen to task over a portion of the documentary suggesting that the head of the ruling Unity Party received a cash payment from Cortzen as part of lobbying fees. Sherman told FrontPageAfrica at the time that Cortzen was a rascal. Said Sherman: Mr. Cortzen offered to pay the amount of US$30,000.00 as a fee. I told him that for matters such as that which he asked me to assist with, where the final result was not under my control, I usually accept a success fee. So I refused to accept the US$30,000.00. He told me that he would prefer that I keep the US$30,000.00 in Liberia as he had difficulty bringing it to Liberia and would have difficulty taking back to Europe. He also suggested that I might need some funds to assist with the process. I understood his predicament of having to take US$30,000.00 on his person back to Europe and so I agreed to accept the funds on account for him pending successful conclusion of the request to be an Honorary Consul.”

‘Never give money to UP’

Continued Sherman:"Some time later, Mr. Cortzen became overly assertive with his demands for results, sometimes bothering on accusations that I was misrepresenting the efforts that I was making on his behalf. I took one of his emails to be an insult. I sent him a return email that I would no longer make any representations on his behalf and terminated the relationship. I also advised him to take delivery of the US$30,000.00 that he had given to me or have somebody else take delivery of it. He actually sent me back an email, in which he thanked me for my services, and instructed that I deliver the funds to Mr. Abraham Swaray. On March 16, 2011 I wrote a check for the amount of US$30,000.00, drawn on account no. 05-00-00882-6 at International Bank (Liberia) Limited, Broad Street, Monrovia, Liberia, payable to Mr. Abraham Swaray. That account is in the name of me and my wife, Joyce Sherman. Mr. Swaray took the check and cashed it the same day. In addition to taking the check, Mr. Swaray must have issued me a receipt but I can't find it immediately.”

The UP chairman noted that he was informed several months after Mr. Abraham Swaray had taken the check for the US$30,000.00 that Mr. Cortzen had been appointed as Honorary Consul. However counselor Sherman said at the time of Cortzen’s preferment he was not making any representation on his behalf as I had terminated all relationships and contacts with him long before then.

‘Never gave me any money’

"Mr. Cortzen never gave me any money for Unity Party," Sherman said.

Adding more fuel to the fire, Willem Tijssen, a Danish national took Cortzen to task in a piece on his blog when he wrote that Cortzen, on August 24, 2010, misrepresented himself and signed a Confidentiality Assignment with Responsibility Waiver, otherwise he would never have been accepted for the application procedure for a Honorary Consulship. “With hidden cameras he started to film confidential meetings and
illegally record conversations, flagrantly violating the agreement to produce a F*ckumentary Film called "The Ambassador",” Tijssen wrote.

Continued Tijssen: Filmmaker Brügger Cortzen closed his official applications to the Government of Liberia with the sentence: “I do sincerely pledge that should my application be favorably considered, I will do my utmost best to uphold the tenants and integrity of the honor bestowed on me.”

Tijssen says Brugger’s character "Mister Cortzen" is a fake who purposely damages the interest of individuals and governments, violates the privacy and integrity of many, and insults the intellect of you, the readers of this document, his viewers. “Wherever the wind is coming from he changes his cap from journalist to documentary maker, whatever suits him the best at a particular moment. Or as he says: "go with the flow". We know that only dead fish go with the flow! The Ambassador does not show bribery or corruption but insinuates with a voice-over that it happened and only exposes a corrupt journalist character who incites bribery with the objective to produce a controversial film for own benefit and international fame. Not one single time Brugger is capable to present hard evidence. He mentions to have paid $35,000 bribery money to a Liberian lawyer but does not tell the viewers that the lawyer returned the full amount refusing to work any longer for a psychopath.”

GOL labels Brugger a ‘Criminal’

The question many are now asking is how did Corzen get access to several meetings with senior Liberian government officials even landing him a position as a consul general for Liberia?

On Monday, the Government of Liberia making its first reaction to the documentary said Cortzen’s action was criminal. “The Government of Liberia finds this action by Mr. Cortzen to not only be immoral but criminal and offensive to the government and people of Liberia.”

The government of Liberia slammed Brugger for misrepresenting himself and castigating Liberia’s image. “In the documentary, while stating his motive as going undercover to explore the nefarious world of blood diamonds and corruption in Africa, Mr. Cortzen admits that he fraudulently purchased a Liberian diplomatic position and passport for USD150, 000.00 through a network that allegedly advertises and un-authorizingly sells diplomatic positions of struggling countries, including Liberia, via the World Wide Web,” the government statement said.

The statement continued: “Since its inception in 2006, the Government of Liberia, under President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, has waged a determined fight against corruption and has worked to clean up the blemished reputation of our foreign service during the years of Liberia’s civil conflict. Accordingly, in 2007, the Government felt compelled to suspend all Consuls General, especially those appointed during the long years of conflict, and painstakingly undertook a comprehensive review of the processes by which individuals were appointed to Liberia’s Honorary Consular Corps. This action was intended to purge the system of suspected and perceived lapses.”

The government explained that all current Consuls General have been re-vetted and only those found to be of high moral repute, in good standing and supportive of Liberia’s developmental goals and aspirations were reconfirmed or appointed. The Liberian government has strived to pursue this course with diligence and scrupulousness. Thus, the GOL statement expressed shock that Brugger, an admitted fraudster, could have breached this system; a system which until this incident involving Mr. Cortzen proved invaluable in returning our country to international repute and diplomatic acclaim.

“Keenly aware that the misuse and abuse of Liberia’s recovering diplomatic image and titles could create unwarranted diplomatic incidents and undermine the ongoing national and international efforts at recovery and restoration, the Government of Liberia strongly condemns the fraudulent acquisition and abuse of Liberia’s recovering diplomatic image by Mr. Cortzen and his accomplices,” the GOL statement said.

Legal threat from GOL

The Liberian government statement said the GOL will institute legal action against Brugger and is seeking the appropriate explanations and redress from the governments of the Central African Republic and Denmark through diplomatic channels. “At the same time, the Government of Liberia is seriously reviewing all appointments of honorary counsels, and shall immediately revoke the commission of anyone who is suspected of having acquired same under false pretenses.”

For Tijssen, the documentary’s failure to tell the audience that he changed his mind several times during the process, speaks volumes to his character. Fact or fiction, true or false, Tijssen says Brugger and Zentropa Film Productions which produced “The Ambassador” have shamefully violated his privacy, infringed his picture/identity-copyrights and damaged his reputation and raped my integrity with unproven accusations.

For Liberia, questions about how Brugger managed to woo Liberian government officials using a fake name and secure a diplomatic post remains a mystery.

Interestingly, Brugger’s quest begain in August 2010 when he reportedly engaged Diplomatic Services Africa (DSA) to assist him with the official application for a Honorary Consul position for Liberia in Copenhagen/Denmark but later that year “Consul Cortzen” changed his mind and applied to such same position in CAR with a possible Ambassador At Large position in Denmark. Tijssen, who says he is a special consultant to the GOL, explains that this led to the process being delayed the procedures and an additional reshuffle in government caused another delay.

While many are still intrigued by Brugger’s “The Ambassador”, Tijssen believes that the journalist bridged  a signed confidential Assignment including a Responsibility Waiver which he breached and discredited in the YouTube leader and the ambiguous documentary film The Ambassador in which he falsely accuses all, who helped him, of corruption and bribery. After thorough investigation by the National Security Agencies in Liberia and CAR and Interpol. “Brugger received more than he asked/applied for and is officially accepted for a diplomatic position; Honorary Consul General for Liberia in the
Central African Republic,”  Tijssen wrote.