PHOTO: Sylvanus K. Reeves: Will he carry out his threat?
By King Brown, sarwahking@gmail.com
BUCHANAN, Liberia – Amid what appears to be an increase in suicide cases in Liberia, a 50-year-old man, Sylvanus K. Reeves has threatened to commit suicide by hanging himself, if his farm is “wrongfully taken away”.
This man is in a land dispute with his oldest sister said to be residing in Canada.
The controversial farm land, which is about seven and a half acres, is located in Blozoe Town, Neekreen statutory district 2, Grand Bassa County.
According to Mr. Reeves, he and his wife (Teta Reeves) invested all of their resources in the farm and because his sister assisted them with money to enlarge the farm, she is now claiming that the entire farm is her property.
But, the county attorney of Grand Bassa Cllr Aloysius Allison said that the investigation was conducted in accordance with the rule of law without fear or favor.
Cllr. Allison added that the investigation established that the land in question was being used for the production of charcoal, cassava, and farming purposes which was sponsored by his oldest sister Madam Nancy Reeves of Canada.
County Attorney of Grand Bassa Cllr Aloysius Allison
On Thursday, February 25, 2021, Mr. Reeves accused the newly assigned County Attorney, Cllr. Allison of falsely charging him on January 21, 2021 with the crime of criminal trespassing and criminal mischief, requesting him to pay the amount of 5- hundred and 60- United States Dollars to his sister and exempt himself as administrator of the property, something he disagreed to do.
The aggrieved farm owner said that the County Attorney has asked him to refund all monies used by him on the farm and turned it over to his sister who is currently in Canada. But he claims that he did not misused any money personally from his sister.
“Mr. Sylvanus K. Reeves mentioned that the assigned Attorney refused to call a conference as he promised initially, refused to asked me to bring my documents for the farm land, as he did to the complainant, putting me in jail for about 3 hours denial me the right to guarantor, forcing me to do a document under durance to stop work on my farm just to obtain my release from prison and accepting instructions from my sister Nancy Reeves of Canada, (complaint) that we should immediately vacate the farm and by sending a communication to the Town Chief Mr. Jerry Kaipeh of Blozoa Town,” the legal record says.
He stated that the document of his sister Nancy Reeves of Canada did not specify the locality of her land in Neekreen Township which also doesn’t has a title deed and the Attorney acted upon such document to gave ownership to the land and farm to her’
But he said that if that happens, it would lead him with no other alternative but to commit suicide hanging himself and taking away his own life.
Mr. Reeves is demanding for an independent investigation to be conducted into the matter because he claimed that the investigation that was conducted by the County Attorney was not fair.
“I am in total disagreement with Cllr. Allison ruling into the matter and I have promised that if he causes me to go to jail and give my farm to my sister then I will kill myself to avoid seeing my kids and wife suffers because of such injustice. And in a communication with Cllr. Allison, he told me that I can go ahead and kill myself. I therefore am appealing for an independent investigation into the entire case”. The aggrieved farm owner narrated.
However, County Attorney, Cllr. Allison has told www.newspublictrust.com vai mobile phone that his investigation established that the controversial farm land was acquired through a lease agreement from the elders of Blozoe town.
He also said that the process was fully funded by Madam Nancy Reeves but due to disagreement between Mr. Reeves and his oldest sister, he was denied the farm land and advised to step aside as administrator of the property.
The Grand Bassa County Attorney further mentioned that based on the charges levied against Sylvanus Reeves, Mr. Cornelius Curtis Jones, a resident of Grand Bassa was authorized by Madam Nancy Reeves to serve as administrator of the property.
Cllr. Allison maintained that based on the criminal behaviors of the alleged aggrieved farm owner, the Assistant County Attorney of Grand Bassa County Cllr. Randolph D. Johnson ordered all arresting officers of the Liberia National Police, Grand Bassa Detachment to arrest the living body of Mr. Sylvanus K. Reeves, who was charged with the commission of the crimes of criminal trespass and mischief and bring him for onward transmission to court in keeping with the law but accordingly he has escaped and is on the run.
The assigned attorney of Grand Bassa County also said: “If Sylvanus K. Reeves feels that he has a farm land while can’t he go to court or if he feels that the conference we held with him was not satisfactory let he go civilly and take legal action against his sister. If he also feels that his sister has not been sponsoring he, his brother and other relatives to buy the land in order to carry on farming activity to sustain themselves in Liberia let he take the matter to court”.
Cllr. Allison added that “I inherited the matter from my Assistant County Attorney Randolph Johnson after he had taken a decision into said matter but when I took over the matter and started to investigate, I realized that everything Sylvanus K. Reeves said was false and mis-leading and if he feels that life is not important to him, let he go ahead and take away his own life.
The County Attorney therefor said that he ruled in favor of Madam Nancy Reeves and that Mr. Sylvanus Reeves was advised to exempt himself from the property.
He warned that if Sylvanus K. Reeves tarnished his reputation, he will ensure that he will be dealt with in line with the law to safe it.