By Moses M. Tokpah, mosesmtokpah@gmail.com
KAKATA, Liberia- Just weeks after members of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) allegedly brutalized a pregnant woman in Kakata, officers of the Agency (LDEA) and the Liberia National Police (LNP) have allegedly vandalized several homes in Margibi County, nearly 79 kilometers east of Monrovia.
The incident occurred in Gweikpolosue, Larky-ta Township District #4 Margibi County on the night of Monday, May 18, 2020.
Residents of the area told newsmen that members of the LDEA and the LNP burst into about five homes/houses and took away over fifty thousand Liberian dollars (L$50,000) and a little over three hundred and fifty United States dollars (US$350) as well as parts of Power-Saw respectively.
But this, the state security forces in Margibi have neither confirmed nor denied.
One of the victims, a charcoal producer identified as Varney Dolo said the officers allegedly burst into his home and arrested his wife, placed her in the police vehicle leaving their sucking child in the room.
He narrated that the officers also took away his wife’s goods (Scratch car) and her money from the table, an amount he did not disclose on grounds that he does not know how much it is.
Varney further said the fifty thousand Liberian dollars that was given to him by his brother-in-law (Kelvin) on National Unification Day (May 14, 2020) was allegedly taken from the bag of pounded cassava (commonly known as deeper) in the room by the same group.
“Last night I was sitting to my friend house I only saw the DEA car after they ran in the Town that’s how myself I sit side my friend in the piercer (porch), they start bursting doors in the Town; for me to run to cross the road they burst my door they took my woman they left the lay child there they put her in the pick-up,” he lamented.
Mr. Dolo revealed that he heard the voice of the LDEA commander, Moses Clarke, Jr. in the area commanding his boys to break their doors.
Also speaking, Joseph Sackie a Power-Saw operator has accused the officers of stealing his power-saw spare parts valued at fifty United States dollars (US$50).
Joseph indicated that the officers entered his house and took away his power-saw spare parts from his suitcase.
After the officers have taken away drugs (medications) from a drugs store owned by a man identified as David who was being accused of having narcotic substances, two persons whom he referred to as informers started pointing fingers at various houses, he further explained.
For her part, the Principal of the Gwekpolosue Public School; Mrs. Barnor M. Fahn said her forty United States dollars (US$40) and one thousand eight hundred Liberian dollars (LS$1,800) was stolen from her purse.
“I was sitting in the porch behind the screen the group came they just enter all of them spread out they just (the Police and the DEA people) so when they got there they started arresting people so the people too they started running the other girl was to her house they ran after her she entered in my porch that where they took her from they burst my door,” she explained.
The school Principal said she did not know that her back bag which contained her documents along with her money was taken away until the next day when she could not locate it and she decided to go to Kakata.
According to her, when she got to Kakata she was given her purse by an officer who said the purse was dropping at a charging booth opposite the Kakata Police Station but she could not find her money, the back bag and some of her documents including WAEC Certificate and ZOA’s documents.
Papa Bailar, another victim has accused the LDEA and LNP officers of stealing US$350 along with two tins of nine gallons containers fill with gasoline.
He told www.newspublictrust.com that he was involved into a tragic motor incident in January of 2020 and his leg got broken after which he was taken to sick bush.
Mr. Bailar asserted that upon his return on Tuesday to collect the amount in question to take care of his medical bill he was informed that the officers entered his house and do away with the money and the gasoline.
He said those who treated him are expecting him to return with their money but he does not have a cent to be able to pay what he owes them, thereby calling on other humanitarians, philanthropists and local and international NGOs to intervene. He is also calling on the County Authority and Judicial Actors to launch an investigation into the matter to bring the perpetrators to book.
When contacted, the Commander of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency assigned in the area referred this Reporter to the LDEA County Commander, Kpehe Lomax on grounds that he has submitted all of his reports to him.
Commander Kpehe Lomax himself referred this writer to the Assistant Commissioner of Police in the County claiming that he was in Monrovia.
Meanwhile, the Margibi County Assistant Commissioner of Police, Sylvester Hina could not confirm nor deny the allegations. But he accused the citizens of attacking the officers and smashing the police vehicle something the citizens have since denied.
Commissioner Hina noted that on Monday night he received call from the commander of the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) that six LDEA officers who have gone on a normal patrol were attacked by the citizens and his motorbike was being seized.
Mr. Hina stated that he then dispatched some members of the joint security headed by one of the senior officers of the LNP to the scene and they met with the Town Chief of Gweikpolosue and were able to retrieve the motorbike.
The Assistant Police Commissioner disclosed that the LDEA commander further informed him that the team while en-route to Kakata unknown individuals, who were in the bush started throwing stones at them thereby smashing the windshield of the police vehicle but there was no casualty.
He narrated that his men manage to have arrested eight persons with huge consignment of drugs and are in police custody pending investigation.
But the citizens also refuted the claim that some of them were caught with drugs.