PHOTO: (Left) Police Deputy IG Marvin Sackor (Right) Journalist Trojan Kiazolu
Monrovia – Deputy Police Inspector General, Marvin Sackor has apologized to Journalist Trojan Kiazolu after, the multimedia practitioner was manhandled and detained over the weekend on orders of Liberia National Police Chief for Operations, the Press Union of Liberia says.
Mr. Kiazolu is currently one of the leading broadcast Journalists in the country and an executive of Fabric 101.1 FM in Monrovia.
Deputy Inspector General Sackor offered the apology during a PUL brokered mediation, according to a PUL release issued in Monrovia on Wednesday, May, May 27, 2020.
Deputy Inspector General Sackor regretted the use of disproportional force against Journalist Kiazolu, who he had accused of disrespecting lawful police order intended to enforce public health protocols prescribed by Health Authorities.
Journalist Kiazolu has been accused of not appropriately using noise mask while on his way home from work Sunday night which resulted in the weird used of force against the Farbric Radio Journalist.
The journalist was bundled to the back of a police pickup and driven away to the Liberia National Police Zone Five Police Depot.
Col. Sackor described the incident as unfortunate lamenting that it was never premeditated to humiliate Journalist Kiazolu.
Speaking at the mediation, Press Union of Liberia President, Charles B. Coffey, Jr. asserted that the admission of guilt by Col. Sackor repairs the damage done to the dignity of Trojan Kiazolu.
The PUL President stressed that policing must be in the interest of all human beings especially during times of the COVID-19 Pandemic. He said bridged of COVID-19 Preventive Measures must not be met by brutal force against the people the protocols are intended to protect.
Mr. Coffey indicated that unnecessary defenses employed in the past when journalists are mistreated are only disrespectful to the self-regulatory regime of the Media in Liberia and documents the country negatively among open societies in the world.
At the end of the mediation, Journalist Trojan Kiazolu accepted Col. Sackor’s apology and both men exchanged gestures of reconciliation observing social distancing and noise masks wearing.