FLASHBACK: Destruction caused by riot
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
The 7th Judicial Circuit Court in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County will today, Monday May 30,2022 begin the long-awaited trial of a commercial motorcyclist and student, who was gruesomely murdered in Maryland County in April 2021 initially linked to ritualistic killing.
Mordacious Nyema’s murder sparked a wave of violent protests, leading to burning and destruction of properties, including the Harper Central Prison.
Murdered motorcyclist, Mordacious Nyema.(left) and destroyed Harper Prison (right)
The trial will be presided over by the resident Judge George S. Wiles of the 7th Judicial Circuit Court in Zwedru City, Grand Gedeh County.
The trial was expected to be heard during the August A.D 2021 term of court but it was deferred to the November A.D term of court but the production of witnesses didn’t materialize after prosecution applied all efforts.
Those behind bars and expected to appear in court are Moses Mlarmah (prime suspect) Open Zipper also known as Jeremiah Appleton, Francis Kla Nyema, Leo K. Williams and Alice Davis for their allege role in the killing of the Motorcyclist Mordacious Nyema.
Suspects deny charges
Defendants Open Zipper, Alice Davis, Jeremiah Appleton alias “Open Zipper “and Leo Williams have denied having any knowledge of the claims or allegation by defendant Moses Mlarmah.
They were indicted by the grand jury of Maryland County during the February 2021, A.D. term of Court for the crime of murder, criminal conspiracy and Criminal Facilitation and armed robbery.
The killing of the motorcyclist, who was also a student of the Pleebo High School led to riots in the streets of Pleebo and Harper, which prompted the imposition of a dusk to dawn curfew by President George Weah. The main prison in Harper was vandalized, causing close to a hundred prisoners to escape although many of them were later arrested. The residence of House Speaker Bohfal Chambers in Pleebo was also set ablaze.
Police charges spelled out
According to police charge sheet, on March 25-April 7, 2021, a special Investigation team arrested defendant Jeremiah Appleton alias (Open Zipper), Francis Kla Nyema, Leo K. Williams and Alice Davis duly informed them of their constitutional rights, thoroughly Investigated them and subsequently charged with Criminal conspiracy, murder and armed robbery for their respective role played in the murder of deceased Mordacious Nyema.
During police investigation to establish how the Motorcyclist was killed, it was revealed that on Thursday on March 25, 2021at about 0945hrs, suspect Moses Mlarmah age 22; a resident of Pleebo Cityc lured the late Mordacious Nyema to go into the MOPP palm plantation under the guise of going for a load( two tin of Palm Oil and two heads of banana).
Investigation established that suspect Moses Mlarmah rode on the deceased’s motorbike to the Palm planation where upon their arrival thereat, Moses Mlarmah pulled out a Cutlass and chopped deceased several times on his neck and the head which led to his death.
That the Investigation gathered that suspect Mlarmah dragged and dumped the lifeless body of the Motorcyclist Mordacious Nyema in a nearby swamp 14feet away from the motor road and took the deceased motorbike and went his way.
Police Investigation conducted with suspect Mlarmah, he confirmed his involvement in the death of the Motorcyclist Mordacious Nyema and named co-suspect Leo Williams, Alice Davis, Jeremiah Appleton, Francis Kla Nyema as accomplices.
He also informed police Investigators that he was not alone in the death of the Motorcyclist Mordacious Nyema and said he was sent by one big brother he only named as Leo, who he met on March 24,2021 morning and informed him that he has an operation that he wanted he(Moses Mlarmah) to carry out.
When he asked the big brother as to what type of operation he was talking about, the big brother responded and said he wanted human being blood.
But he told the big brother in response that he alone was not able to carry out such operation but the big brother Leo Williams told him to find another person who could assist him carry out the operation.
According to him, before big brother Leo Williams could leave, he gave him (Mlarmah) US $200 to buy gas for his motorbike for said operation. Suspect Mlarmah said after a little while, he went on the Grand Kru road to have his motorbike wash and he saw Jeremiah Appleton alias Open Zipper and asked him to join him to carry out the operation to get human parts.
Open Zipper asked Mlarmah for money to go smoke before he could say anything and he Mlarmah gave him L$700 and he left but later came back and the both of them decided to go to the Maryland Oil palm plantation (MOPP) with the company’s truck and tractor and stopped to the MOPP gate within the plantation.
After they stopped at the MOPP plantation, they saw a motorbike rider identified as Mordacious Nyema where he suspect Mlarmah told the deceased that he had a load on his father’s farm in Sami Tugbeh’s village beyond the palm plantation that they wanted him to go for.
He added that they sat on the motorbike with rider as he turned and headed towards the direction of Gr. Kru road through the MOPP’s plantation and admitted of taken Cutlass with him from Pleebo which he gave to Open Zipper to hold.
As they were on their way going, open zipper asked that he wanted to get down use the latrine which they allowed him for said purpose and he was left there and Mlarmah and motorbike ride continue their journey for the load on Mlarmah father’s farm across the water.
Both the deceased and suspect Mlarmah came back with load and when they got on spot where Open Zipper stopped to use the latrine, Mlarmah told the bike rider to stop, Open Zipper came from behind a palm tree and immediately chopped the Motorcyclist at the back of his neck with the Cutlass thus leading him to fall.
The defendant further Informed the investigators while, coming from the farm, he brought another Cutlass that his father can use on his coal bag and after the Motorcyclist fell on the ground, he began chopping the cyclist on his head until he gave off his ghost.
When the defendant died, they used syringes to drained the blood out of the deceased and put it said blood in a coca cola bottle closed it and placed same in a black plastic bag that be taken to the town and dragged the body across the road into a swap and covered with grass and left the place.
After he allegely committed said act, he went in Besseken town to buy biscuit and calao gins but he was told by shop owner Francs Toe that there was no biscuit in the shop but she saw bloodstains on his clothes and boots and the asked the defendant what blood was on his clothes and boots but the defendant responded and said he killed baby cow belonging to Malian Cow raiser but he was his way to apologise to him.
But the business woman not been satisfied with bloodstains seen on him, asked some men to take them to where he kill the baby cow and he took them there but contrary to what he said and it was the Motorcyclist body the three men saw and be began appealing to them not to report him but the three men refused and turned him over to the MOPP security and MOPP security later turned him over to the Liberia National Police for Investigation.