FLASHBACK: Ransacked Harper Central Prison
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Ten out of thirty-two defendants who were charged and sent to court for alleged rioting in March and April 2021 Maryland County, where several public private properties were vandalized and set ablaze have been released.
They were released recently by the presiding judge of 7th Judicial Circuit Court, Saykajibo Wolloh in Grand Gedeh County, but circumstances surrounding their release are so far unclear. The case was transferred to Zwedru from Harper
When contacted by www.newspublictrust.com, Judge Wolloh said he could not immediately comment but told this Reporter to call him back tomorrow to look at the case file.
The rioters weeks ago stormed and ransacked the Harper Central Prison causing nearly one hundred inmates to escape, set Speaker Bohfal Chambers’ House in Pleebo ablaze and damaged other properties in both Pleebo and Harper, days after a commercial motorcyclist was murdered in Pleebo.
Speaker Chambers’ residence that was set ablaze
The Defendants were indicated for multiple crimes ranging from rioting, failure to disperse, obstruction of highways, criminal mischief, arson and armed robbery among others.
The presiding judge Wolloh released the ten defendants without the knowledge of State Prosecutors neither any motion to admit to bail was filed before him.
Chapter 15 section 15.32 of the Penal Law of Liberia says a person has committed capital offense of armed robbery which is a felony of the first degree if in the process course of committing theft he threatens to kill, kills or inflicts bodily injury upon a person or group of persons or places such persons or places in imminent danger or peril under gun point or by means explosives weapons or other lethal devices or instrument.
Also Chapter 14.4 of the Criminal procedure law states:
- Incorporation by reference.
Allegations made in one count may be incorporated by reference in another count.
Police in Pleebo City, Maryland County estimated the total cost of both public and private properties damaged during the recent Maryland County violent protest is US$2,303,000.00 and 1 milion Liberian Dollars.
The police therefore investigated, charged and sent 34 persons who were the main leaders of Riot and destruction of both public and private facilities.
They were sent to court on April 8, 2021 and later transferred them to the Zwedru correction palace in Gr. Gedeh County awaiting due to the destruction of the prison facility in Harper City, Maryland County.
The 34, men were charged with several crimes ranging from Robbery, criminal conspiracy, arson, riot failure to disperse, criminal mischief, obstruction of highways and other public passages and disorderly conduct.
According to police charge sheet that on April 5,2021, police Investigators arrested defendants Morris Senneh, president of the Pleebo Motorcyclists union as well as other cohorts namely;
Mamadou Diallo, Edward Toe, Sieh Gray, Edwin Lawal, Salu Ali, Lawrence Jarbee, Wilfred Kuoh, Eugene Koppeh, George Nimely, John Davis, Patrick Wilson, Augustine Navy, Micheal Doblah, Sawo Bedel, Robert Wesseh, Fred Johnny, Peter Bestman,
Others are Moses Toe, Mashel Doloson, Amos Kuma, Joseph Bannie, George Segbeh, Mark Freeman, Michael Tugbeh, Winston Smith, Christopher Dweh Prince Kouh, George Weah and John Collies, Chris Porka and Sham Beyslow.
The police charge sheet further that the alleged perpetrators were duly informed of their constitutional rights, investigated and duly charged with the commission of multiple crimes named above for leading a group of thugs from the youth and Motorcyclists communities in Pleebo and Harper cities respectively, under the banner of demanding Justice for the death of a motorcyclist Mordacious Nyema, who was killed by another motorcyclist Moses Mlarmah on March 25,2021.
That the defendants and thugs under their supervisions on March 31,2021,looted the home of speaker Bhoufal Chambers and set same ablaze including a Nissan pickup in the yard.
The charge sheet further disclosed that the defendants and thugs under their supervisions went at the Pleebo police station at Harper and Pleebo vandalized them and went at the Maryland Central prison situated in Harper City, broke into it and took the living body of pre-trial detainees (defendant Moses Mlarmah) who was detained at that facility awaiting trial for his connection into the murder of motorcyclist Mordacious Nyema.
That the here in defendants having taken into their custody the living body of pre-trial detainees Moses Mlarmah and subsequently released additional ninety-one(91) inmates some of whom were convicted of armed robbery, murder, rape, burglary among others.
After they released defendant Moses Mlarmah pre-trial detainee, they vandalized and set ablaze the prison compound which resulted to damages of documents and other government properties within said compound.
Accordingly, the protesters didn’t seek any authorization from the local authority and other person’s gathered or assembled and blocked major streets, looted both private and public facilities.
Finally, that the caretaker (security) at Speaker Chambers house suffered the loss of one million Liberian Dollars and three thousand United States dollars.
While, the estimated cost of speaker Chambers house, Maryland prison compound, Liberian National Police situated at Pleebo and Harper Cities including the court is estimated at two million, two hundred United States dollars (2,200,000.00USD) and the estimated cost of vehicle damaged by the protesters is about one hundred thousand United States dollars.
Meanwhile, the act of the defendants were in violation of Chapter 10,15 and 17; section 10.4, 15.1, 15.5, 15.30, 17.1, 17.3, and 17.7 of the New penal law of the Republic of Liberia.
But human rights actors said the LNP was Violation of tying the defendants hands with fresh-tye rather than using handcuffs.
The police used said instrument due to the lack of sufficient handcuffs.