PHOTO: Defendants being escorted to court under heavy Police protection
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Within 48 hours after police arrest following local and international pressure, the Liberia National Police (LNP) today, Thursday, August 4, 2022 charged and sent to court several militants of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Council of Patriots (COP.
Seven of the militants were arrest a day after President George Weah condemned the July 26 bloody violence allegedly unleashed against student of the campus-based SUP party at the state owned University of Liberia while they were demonstrated near the US Embassy in Mamba Point in Monrovia, which led to severe injuries.
And their arrest also came after mountain condemnations from Liberian groups and the International community—the United Nations, EU, US, UK missions in Monrovia. After Public Outcry, Police Finally Arrest July 26 Violence Perpetrators – News Public Trust
Critics say Police had earlier apparently intended to sweep the issue under the carpet. The LNP authorities had earlier told the local media that no complaint had been brought to them, when asked why the perpetrators had not been arrested nearly a week after the bloody assault on the SUP protesters.
But on Thursday, the CDC COP militants were finally charged by the police and sent to court amid intense pressure.
Those charged with Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder with other crimes and forwarded to court the leader of the CDC COP leader Ben B. Togbah and his accomplices in connection with the July 26 Independence Day violence.
Defendants Kendrick S. Pelenah age 30, Joshua S. Karr, 28, Pukar Roberts, 36, Ben B. Togbah, 25, Foday N. Massaquoi, 23, Aaron K. Chea, 26 and Abdurahman Barrie and other to be identified was charged with the crimes of criminal attempts to commit murder, aggravated assault, criminal mischief, theft of property, rioting, failure to disperse and disorderly conduct.
The defendants were however, release on bail bond signed by Cllr. Arthur Tamba Johnson, while they await court trial.
Details on Police charge sheet
According to LNP charge sheet, the defendants’ action is in violation of chapter 14 section 14.20 chapter, chapter 15, sub-chapter A section 15.5, chapter 10.4 chapter 15, sub-chapter D section 15. 51, chapter A section 17 section, section 17.1 and chapter 17, section 17.3 of the revise penal law of Liberia pending court trial.
On July 26, 2022 Liberia’s independence Day celebration, during an early morning hour, University of Liberia Student based group, Student Unification Party gathered up Benson Street right in front of the United States Embassy near Monrovia to carry out peaceful protest under the banner, ‘’Fix the country’’ and to subsequently present their petition to the United States government on allege corruption, bad governance and insecurity among others.
The students’ petition and protest was counter protested by the governing Coalition for Democracy Change Council of Patriot which led to several bodily injured and one currently undergoing critical medical attention in exile.
The LNP says it on August 2, 2022 arrested the leader of the CDC-COP and his accomplices and informed them of their Miranda rights, investigated and subsequently charged them with the crimes criminal attempts to commit murder, aggravated assault, criminal mischief, theft of property, rioting, failure to disperse and disorderly conduct for their complicity in a violent protest on July 26.
According to the police charge sheet, that incident caused victims to sustain serious bodily injuries, while community dwellers properties got damaged and stolen.
The arrest of the defendants, the police charge claimed is due to a communication on July 29, 2022 received from the Crimes Service Department of the Liberia National Police from the Ministry of Justice to the Inspector General Col. Patrick T. Sudue to immediately conduct an investigation relative to the incident that occurred on the Liberia’s Independence Day, same being July 26 in which a students of the Students Unification Party (SUP) identified as Christopher Walker Sisuu was seen in multiples video recording on social media being attacked, beaten and stripped naked.
The police investigative finding also disclosed that stones where been throw by both the so-called CDC-COP and SUP and some homes were being affected as the result of the incident, thus leaving several residents’ homes, especially the zinc damaged.
‘’Victim Chrostopher Walker Sisulu, having recognized that the situation had escalated ran from the main road into the community for safety but was chased and apprehended, beaten, stripped naked, humiliated publicly and violently taken back to the main road while blood was seen oozing from his face and mouth as seen on the recording. However, neither the CDC-COP, SUP got a permit from the Ministry of Justice to assemble or protest,’’ Police investigation pointed out.
Police investigation is also said to have unearthed that the appearance of the so-called CDC-COP on the University of Liberia campus where SUP is based on July 26 validate that they were well prepared for violent protest, clarifying that Aaron Chea, public relations officer of the CDC-COP went with the group initially at UL campus where SUP had earlier conveyed. But it said he did not go with the group (CDC-COP) in front of the US embassy where SUP supporter where gathered.
The investigation finding pointed out that a pile of rocks was seen in the midst of SUP members prior to the engagement with the CDC-COP. That, on the membership of the so-called CDC-COP organized a camp at their leader house located in the 72 community, Paynesville for planning purpose.
“In view of the forgoing fact and circumstance, video footage, photographs, The Liberia National Police has charged and forwarded to court the the leader of the Coalition for Democracy Change-Council of Patriot Ben B. Togbah and his accomplices in connection with the July 26 independence Day celebration violence at the United States Embassy which lead to the injured of several member of the Students Unification Party based at the University of Liberia,” the Police charge sheet added.
Meanwhile, the defendants from the CDC COP avoided going to jail and were released Thursday on bond signed by Cllr. Arthur Tamba Johnson, as they await court trial.