PHOTO: Convicted Deputy Police Commander, Sensee Kowo
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
The Second Judicial Circuit Court in Buchanan, Liberia’s southern Grand Bassa County has handed down a guilty verdict for a local Police Commander in Nimba County for beating a commercial motorcyclist to death in March this year.
Judge Joe S. Barkon today, Tuesday, October 12, 2021 found deputy Police commander Sensee Kowo and his Co-defendant Rancy Dolo guilty of flogging to death, Samuel Selleh, a 32-year-old resident of Ganta in the northeastern Nimba in March 2021.
Convicted Kowo was charged with murder, while, his Co-defendant Rancy Dolo was charged with Criminal Facilitation.
But the court in its ruling said Co-defendant Dolo might be acquitted if he has spent more time in jail than the crime charged.
Judge Joe S. Barkon
However, the court has instructed the probation office of Grand Bassa County to investigate the characters of the convicts prior to their sentence hearing, which is slated for Monday, October 19,2021after which their sentencing will be subsequently done.
Deputy Commander Kowo was indicted by the Grand Jury of Nimba County for the crime of murder during the February 2020A.D. term of Court. But the case was transferred from the 8th Judicial Circuit in Nimba County to the second Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Bassa County on change of venue motion prayed for by the defendant on ground that he wouldn’t get fair trial due to sentiment.
The defendant is being represented in court by a law firm Consortium headed by Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson, while the deceased is being represented by the state.
The Second Judicial Circuit Court heard final argument into matter last Friday, October 8, 2021 and the case lasted for about a month.
Both the state and defense lawyers were told to send their legal memorandum on or before Wednesday October 6, 2021, for final argument into the matter.
When the case was called, the defendant pleaded not guilty to his alleged murder charged, thereby joining issue with the state.
The trial, which was a bench trial, commenced on Tuesday September 21,2021 at the Buchanan Court, with state prosecutors producing two witnesses on the same day after he pleaded not guilty thereby joining issue with the state.
Furthermore, the state also produced its final two witnesses on Thursday September 23,2021and rested with material and documentary evidence with reservation.
After the state rested with evidence on date mentioned above, the defendant Sense Kowo took the witness stand and testified in his alleged murder case on his behalf and other witnesses are expected to testify on his behalf.
The Court is expected to request for extension of Court’s trial period from the Chief Justice for the conclusion of the case
Background of the Story
The late Samuel Selleh was allegedly flogged to death by the Ganta City by Deputy Police Commander, Kowo who was said to be on the run following the incident.
A 32-year-old eye witness, Yei Yini narrated that Selleh, was a resident of the Peace Community in Ganta, had went to the Jackie’s Guest House, along with her son, Stanley Yini, where he met his untimely death.
Madam Yei further narrated that she and one of friends met her son and the victim in front of Jackie’s Guest House.
“My son said, ‘Mama, we just from the house but I didn’t see you there,” she said.
According to her, little did she know that the two security guards, who were on assignment at the guest house, had already called the Deputy Police commander, Sensee Kowo, who owns and runs the private security firm, Sky Security Guard Service, for which the guards work.
It was believed that somewhere along the guesthouse’s fence, some young men gathered there every evenings to smoke and disturbs Jackie’s guests. Jackie’s Guest House, on the outskirts of Ganta, is one of the leading guesthouses in the bustling city that never sleeps.
The eyewitness further narrated that they were at the area where the incident occurred near Jackie’s Guest House when the former Police commander (defendant) Sensee Kowo was called by his two private security guards. They told him that some grown-up boys were near the guesthouse and doing something that wasn’t right. The boys can meet to the place to dance and do other things,” she further said.
According to her when Kowo arrived, it was just in that time that the 18-year-old victim and her son were making their way to the other boys.
She further said the Deputy Police Commander wasted no time and without asking he just grabbed Selleh by his neck while his private security friends began to “flog” him.
“When they later left him, he dropped and was then rushed to the E & J Hospital, but was pronounced Dead on Arrival eyewitness” Madam Yei explained.