PHOTO: Suspended Prison Superintendent Kuyateh
By Emmanuel Mafelah, mafelahemmanuel29@gmail.com
GBARNGA, Liberia- Saydu Bi Kuyateh, Superintendent of the Gbarnga central prison in Bong County has been dismissed and forwarded to the Liberia National Police Headquarters in Monrovia for thorough criminal investigation.
In a telephone communication with www.newspublictrust.com on Tuesday June 23, 2020, the Assistant Minister for Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation at Ministry of Justice, Eddie Tarawilie confirmed the information.
Mr. Kuyateh was dismissed, according to Minister Tarawillie for allegedly receiving 13 grams of gold to release a convict identified as Foeday and other notorious criminals at the Gbarnga central prison.
The Stipendiary Magistrate of Salala Magistrate Court, John B. Saaley, on June 6, 2020, sentenced Foeday and one Mark Kollie to one year imprisonment for burglary and theft of property.
But Kuyateh reportedly released Foeday and others singlehandedly in exchange of gold and some cash.
Mr. Kuyateh, who has come under the spotlights of illegally discharging prisoners from the center is said to have been engaged in the constant immoral act since his assignment at the Gbarnga Central Prison and previous detention entities.
Minister Tarawilie averred that Kuyateh was fired following a preliminary- investigation conducted by the Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation (BCR) scrutinizing team in Monrovia.
He indicated that the BCR heads action will serve as a warning to would-be violators.
When contacted, Superintendent Saydu Bi Kuyateh said he has not been dismissed but suspended by Eddie Tarawilie, the Assistant Minister for Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation at the Ministry of Justice.
Mr. Kuyateh maintained that he remains the legitimate Superintendent of the Gbarnga Central Prison.