By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- The Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA) President, Cllr. Tiawon S. Gongloe has vehemently differed with the head of the Liberian Judiciary, Francis S. Korkpor in the Supreme Court’s opening Address over political prisoners issues.
In his Supreme Court Opening address on Monday, March 8, 2021, Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor said it was reported in the media that while working at the Ministry of Justice in the late 1970s as Research Coordinator at the Bureau of corrections during the administration of President Williams R. Tolbert, he tortured political prisoners.
A report which he claimed is intended to injure his hard earned character with the International community, is also just not true.
Chief Justice Korkpor explained that firstly, he is not aware that there were political prisoners in jail at the time during the tenure of President Tolbert but he recalled that during his administration a group of people from Maryland County including Anderson, Nancy, Nyenpan and Taryonon etc. were arrested, imprisoned and convicted for ritualistic killings.
And they were subsequently hanged but they were not political prisoners.
Chief Justice Korkpor further mentioned the next group of people compromised those arrested after what is known as the RICE RIOT in Monrovia on April 14,1979 which was headed by Gabriel Baccus Matthews and Oscar Quiah, among others but they were granted subsequently granted executive pardon something Chief Justice Korkpor maintained that they too were not political prisoners.
Secondly, the Liberian Chief Justice added that at the time of his employment, the organization of the Bureau of Rehabilitation (known as Bureau of corrections today) consisted of the Minister of Justice/ Attorney General, an Assistant Minister for Rehabilitation, and a superintendent of prison.
Therefore, there is no way that a mere coordinator like him would be responsible for and implement a grave decision such as torturing political prisoners and more besides those who know him well know his human rights record in this country.
After mentioning the above statement, the President of the Liberian National Bar Association Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe strongly differed with him and said Gabriel Baccus Matthews, Oscar Quiah and others who were arrested after the April 14,1979 Rice Riot street protest against the increment in the Price of rice were political prisoners.
Cllr. Gongloe further corrected the Liberian judiciary head that he Gongloe) was part of said protest and said the protest was against a government policy to increase the price of rice and those opposed to that policy exercised their constitutional rights to peaceable assemble and petition the government of Liberia not to implement that policy.
In furtherance of his exception he explained that almost all dissenting voices in Liberia at that time, including leaders of pressure groups such as the progressive Alliance of Liberia, the the Movement for Justice in Africa and Students Union and LINSU were all silenced by arrests and threats of arrest.
The Liberian human rights lawyer also informed the gathering in his respond to the Chief Justice opening address that those arrested were neither taken to a police station for Investigation to determine probable cause or charge, nor were they taken to any magisterial court.
They were incarcerated at the Monrovia Central prison without a writ but rather it was only after a few days that were issued a writ of arrest and charged with TREASON.
When citizens are arrested for exercising their civil and political rights and arbitrarily detained, there can be no other expression that fits them other than political correctness the human rights lawyer said.
Cllr. Gongloe defined political prisoners according to https.//www.britannica.com/ is a person who is imprisoned because that person’s actions or beliefs are contrary to those of his or her government.
The LNBA President said they could not resist making this clarification because some of us were participants in that street protest which became violent when the police on the order of President Tolbert shot dead more than one hundred armless citizens of Liberia and buried them in a mass- grave.
The history must be told correctly in order to avoid mass misinformation and a repeat of the mistake of past government by succeeding government of Liberia.
For his part, Justice Minister, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean urged members of the Supreme Court bench to continue their good work and dispensed Justice fairly.
The opening of the Supreme Court of Liberia March term of court opening was poorly attended due to present of global nightmare known as COVID 19 and it was be held via Zoom.