PHOTO: Police Commander Dee lying on the grounds of the Temple of Justice with complaint in hand
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- Some time ago, a senior officer of the Liberia National Police was flogged in Jeadea Statutory in Liberia’s southeastern Sinoe County allegedly on order of the Judge of the Monthly and Probate Court in that County.
After the incident, Police Commander Clinton Dee filed a complaint to the Supreme Court of Liberia and the Justice Ministry against Judge Octavius B. Doe, but so far with no redress.
The victim claims that since his unfortunate incident, authorities have paid deaf ears to his cry for justice, after reportedly being flogged for releasing a Ghanaian miner who was ill behind bars.
Now, Police commander Dee has reached the seat of the Judiciary in Monrovia to seek justice and is lying on the bare floor on the grounds of the Temple of Justic, as he is threatening to take his own life.
He can barely walk from the severe flogging he received.
However, Chief Justice Francis Korkpor has ordered the immediate treatment of the severely beaten Police Commander.
In an interview at his encampment site on the grounds of the Temple of Justice, victim Doe narrated that he was flogged on June 30, 2022, by seven persons with cutlasses and stick for releasing a Ghanaian man who was ordered jailed by the same judge.
He alleged that on the June 27, the Judge arrested a Ghanaian miner who refused to pay 50,000 dollars to Judge Doe, which led the judge to take the Ghanaian gold miner to the police station, saying that the man should be jailed based on the Judge’s instruction commander Doe detained him.
Further explaining his ordeal in has helpless manner said he was beaten up for three hours by court officers at the Probate Court including the Judge; saying that he has all of the evidence in his possession.
He added that since he wrote the Chief Justice and Justice Ministry (MOJ), including the Police Inspector General, Patrick Sudue, there has been no redress to his case, “No justice for me, what I always hear is ‘go come’, I need justice.
Police officer Dee said he wrote a communication to Chief Justice Korkpor and Chief Justice has admitted to receiving a complaint from victim Dee against the judge, which judge Octavius B. Doe also complained the victim; stating that there is a citation for investigation.
“Why do you want to kill yourself? the only best thing to do now is for you to undergo your treatment, once it is completed, we can go ahead with the case,” Justice Korkpor said.
Chief Justice Korkpor says Policeman’s complaint needs to be heard
The Liberian Chief Justice explained that the complaint against Judge Doe is a complaint that needs to be heard before a decision is made.
“You cannot come today and we say the Judge is wrong, even if we say the judge is wrong, the first thing is for you to undergo treatment. Go to the hospital, if everything settles we will go into the matter,” the Chief Justice noted.
Justice Korkpor has told commander Dee that killing himself will not be the rightful solution to the problem, indicating that his safety is the first priority.
Meanwhile, the Liberia National Police (LNP) has condemned in “the strongest term the brutal flogging” of one of its Commanders, Inspector Dee Clinton of the Sinoe County Police Detachment on the alleged orders of the Probate Court Judge, Atty. Octavius B. Doe of Sinoe County.
Upon receiving the reports of the alleged flogging of Officer Clinton, the LNP administration says it has constituted an investigative team to conduct a full-scale investigation into the allegation.
The LNP on its social media platform posted that it had already informed the Ministry of Justice about the incident emanating from Sinoe County involving one of the Judges from the Judicial Branch of Government.
Inspector General Patrick Sudue has assured members of the LNP that justice will be served, while intimating that no one is above the law. Probate Court Judge allegedly orders the flogging of police officer in Sinoe county.
Information reaching this Report says the Judge Doe who is being accused of ordering the flogging of the Sinoe Police Commander is said to be in the constant habit of doing things outside his jurisdiction.
But the Judge is yet to publicly react to the allegations against him.