By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Liberia National police former deputy commander has appeared in court on charge of beating a motorcyclist to death in northeastern Ganta, Nimba County, but he has pleaded not guilty.
Officer Sensee Kowo, who allegedly flogged motorcyclist Samuel Selleh to death in the commercial hub of Ganta in March 2020, pleaded guilty to the crime in the second Judicial Circuit Court in Grand Bassa County, where the case was transferred.
He was indicted by the GrandJjury 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 by Consortium law firm headed by Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson and while the deceased is being represented by the state.
The trial, which is a bench trial, commenced on Tuesday September 21, 2021 at the Circuit Court in port city of Buchanan, with state prosecutors producing two witnesses on the same day after he pleaded guilty thereby joining issue with the state.
Furthermore, the state also produced its final two witnesses one Thursday September 23,2021and rested with material and documentary evidence with reservation.
After the state rested with evidence today, the defendant Sense Kowo is currently testifying 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
Back Ground of the case
Samuel Selleh ,32-year-old was allegedly flogged to death by Police officer Sense Kowo.
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.
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 Yei explained.