PHOTO: Flogged female officer Rebecca Nimely, when she was nursing her wounds
The professional standard Division (PSD) at the Liberia National Police in Monrovia has recommended that Maryland County police Commander Jacob G. Comehn be permanently relieved from his position as General Commander, after he allegedly flogged one of his female subordinate officers.
As www.newspublictrust.com Garmah Never Lomo reports, the PSD cities the Police commander’s failure to exercise maximum restraints and effective supervisions as a commander (Acts Unbecoming a senior police officer).
It says Commander Comehn should be suspended for three months off the job with appropriate salary deduction and that upon completion of his suspension be sent back to the Liberia National Police academy and training school for leadership and administrative training.
Background of the Case
The background of this case emanated from Harper, Maryland County on April 2, 2021, during the afternoon hours when victim and female police officer when Rebecca Nimely came from the Ivory coast border along with another Segant James C. Walawelee. And both of them went to the police station and saw her landlord (Emmet Muwenburg) sitting on the ground so she tried to inquire from her landlord as to what happened when the County’s commander Jacob Comehn got angry and said why is she asking her landlord.
The female police officer appeared before the Professional Standard Division on April 20, 2021 and explained her ordeal below.
A female police officer and a deputy line commander for the women and children protection at the Liberia National Police Rebecca Nimely has been explaining her ordeal, after being wounded as a result of reportedly being brutalized by the Maryland Country Police Commander, Jacob Cumeh.
Speaking with www.newspublictrust.com in this southeastern county in April, Sgt. Nimely alleged that she was physically assaulted by her boss, Col. Jacob Cumeh for investigating a case involving her landlord that which was been heard by the commander.
“We never had confusion before so I was shocked about what happened,” the female police officer told this news outlet.
She said the police commander’s action was prompted by information given to him by his deputy commander that during the riot, all the female officers were in missing action, something he didn’t inquire but took to heart against them
Explaining her Ordeal, the Officer Nimley said, on March 31, 2021, she saw her landlord with clothes sitting on the bare floor in his boxer, something that claimed her attention and decided to ask her landlord as to what took him to the police station.
But while her landlord was trying to explain to her, police commander Cumeh said that she was obstructing his mission and in fact they were on ground and couldn’t make any arrest of the protesters. But upon his return from Monrovia, he arrested several persons, the female police officer explained.
According to Sgt. Nimley said while inquiring from her landlord, the County police commander told her to get her “”a… outside, something that caused her to advice the commander not to insult her.
Meanwhile, police IG Patrick Sudue has said on a local radio in Harper City that the police county Commander Cumeh has now been disrobed immediately, pending the outcome of an investigation.
But when Reporters contacted Col. Jacob Cohman to get his side of the story, he promised to reserve all comments.
Col.Cohman noted that the case is being investigated by the Standard Professional Division of the Liberia National Police.
The police commander was said to have been wearing a ring when he allegedly hit the female police in her face, thus causing her to suffer wound under her right eye and nose, as she had to be given three stiches.
The Police Women and Children Protection deputy commander claimed that during the assault on her, she lost a total of US$720 along with her phone and slippers she was wearing.
She said medical practitioners at J.J. Dossen Memorial Hospital in Harper have advised her to take an X-RAY, but she says she currently has no money.
There are claims that the police commander always insults female officers and is said to have poor working relationship with female officers.
Female officer Nimley said she was assigned to Maryland County in 2010, while the police commander has spent two years in this county.
Sgt. Nimley has vowed that she will ask for reassignment if Police Commander Cumeh remains in Maryland County after the investigation, as she maintains that she can no longer work with him, because she claims that her life will be not be secured while working with such commander.
While the allegation of brutality case is currently before the Professional Standard Division of the LNP in Monrovia, the female police officer has threatened to take legal step with the involvement of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia.
Police IG Sudue has disclosed that the police commander here has been sent to Monrovia for Investigation, after which a team of Investigators will come on the ground in Harper City to ascertain additional facts into the matter.
However, several human right actors and women in Maryland County have condemned the brutality of the police commander against his junior female officer.
While, commander Comhen reported himself before the Professional Standard Division at the LNP headquarters in Monrovia on April 13,2021, for Investigation where he was acquainted with the complaint levied against him by his junior officer Rebecca Nimely and later asked as to whether he could give as additional statement which he accepted and complied with.
The PSD Investigators also prepared questionnaires from commander Comhn written statement for him to answer and those questions were answered by him and thereafter, he was told to be reporting at PSD until the complainant Rebecca Nimely can arrive at the police Headquarters.
After a week, complainant Rebecca Nimely arrived at the police Headquarters in Monrovia from Maryland County pertaining to her complaint, she was asked as to whether she could give additional statement apart from what she presented to the PSD team in Maryland County and her respond was no, she was satisfied with statement in Maryland County
The PSD Investigators prepared a questionnaires for her too and she was able to answer the questions. Both parties were told to appear before the Investigators on April 22,2021, with Representatives for cross examination into the matter at bar. In furtherance of the Investigation, PSD Investigators at the headquarters coordinated with PSD Investigators in Harper City, Maryland County in getting some relevant or supporting facts from the scene of the incident reference the complaint at bar.