Monrovia – Authorities of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and a lawyer for former police chief Chris Massaquoi are disputing a detailed account from the police’s own charge sheet stating that Cllr. Massaquoi visited the crime scene where late journalist Tyron Brown, former Technical Director of the Super FM Radio Station, was brutally murdered last week.
FrontPageAfrica’s crime and police beat reporter, Bettie Johnson-Mbayo was summoned by authorities of the LNP Wednesday to explain where she received the information regarding Cllr. Massaquoi’s role in the events after journalist Browne’s murder.
Reporter Mbayo said Wednesday: “I told them to do a complaint to my office but they refuted the story saying that at no time did their own charge sheet state what was reported in Tuesday’s edition of FrontPageAfrica. When I was leaving an investigator identified as R1 told me that if I cannot tell them where I got the story from I would be taken to court. So, I told him he cannot frighten me but should instead make a complaint to my office.”
The charge sheet in possession of FrontPageAfrica has been submitted to the Magisterial Court at the Temple of Justice on the same day that all key suspects in the case were charged.
All reporters from other news organizations covering that beat had access to a copy at their own expense.
Below is the unedited charge sheet submitted to the Magisterial Court which was the basis of the FrontPageAfrica report.
Having examined the various statements, facts and circumstances, the following were established to wits.
The investigation established that the late Tyron A. Browne was a resident of Zubah Town Community and his body was discovered in the Kingdom Care Community, it was also established that he was a member of the Christ Embassy Church on Duport Road as Technical Director of the Super FM Radio Station along the Tubman Boulevard Congotown, Monrovia.
The investigation established that Tyron A. Browne on Sunday, April 15, 2018 covered the wedding program of Mr. and Mrs. Jerald Tamba in the Pipeline Community, Paynesville Liberia as a photographer and video recorder from 14:00hrs to 20:00hrs and he was dropped after the program at the Duport Road Junction same day at about 20:30hrs along with his digital camera set in a bag.
That Tyron A. Browne after been dropped on the Duport Road with his digital camera set in his bag and while on his way to his house at Zubah Town, he stopped at his church(Christ Embassy) along the Duport Road and left said Camera bag with the Church security Patrick Paye and he went home and at about 22:00hrs, while in their house with his nephew Charles Browne he received a mobile phone call wherein he told his nephew, Charles Browne that he was going on the Pipeline Road to come back.
Investigation further established that later the same night April 15, 2018 at about 2300hrs, Tyron Browne appeared in a Compound in the Kingdom Care Community owned by Dr. Jerret that contained two separate apartments where defendant Jonathan Williams is occupying along with his two nieces(Edwina Promise Yuoti and Alice Youti) where the deceased went to visit Edwina Promise Youti and there were he was attacked by defendant Jonathan K. Williams who stabbed the victim with a knife twice in the left ribs and one time on the side of the upper back instantly to his death.
The CSD probe also established that after the victim was stabbed to death by defendant Bill and both of them placed victim’s body in his defendant William’s white infinity vehicle(jeep) to be identified and they dumped the body away along the Kingdom Care Road and subsequently that night the white Infinity vehicle was washed by defendant William instruction so as to discard the evidence.
That after defendant William stabbed to death victim Tyron A. Browne he called and explained the incident via mobile phone to his brother Daniel Socree and few minutes later Daniel Socree drove in his yard with a man who witnesses overheard his name as Chris Massaquoi, a former police director and they both saw the body and have secret discussion with defendant William and immediatelly when the two men left was when defendant William placed the body in the car with the help of Cesar Kennedy and Ernest Kermue(at large) and dumped it along the Kingdom Care road.
That after dumping the body when they returned to their house, defendant William ordered that they burn the plastic which he took from his vehicle that they used to rub the body in and so they put all on top of his defendant William septic tank and he William put fuel on it and light it with a match and have it burnt.
Police investigation further established that late Tyron A. Browne was a friend to Edwina Promise Youti and that he had visited her at her house the (Crime Scene) several times both day and night prior to the incident and that he Tyron Browne was not having on his person any weapon during his encounter with defendant Williams.
That during police forensic investigation/examination conducted externally and internally on the white infinity vehicle that was used by defendant William to dump the body of Tyron A. Browne after killing him blood stain was collected and proven to be human blood.
Means of discarding evidence of the crime he committed in order to avoid it from being discovered by the State Security and finally he did not report himself to the Liberia National Police til his arrest on April 20, 2018 five days later after the crime through the aid of former Director of Police Cllr. Chris Massaquoi.
That victim Tyron A. Browne body was pronounced dead by doctor at the Benson Hospital on April 16, 2018.
That defendant Alice Youti, Edwina Promise Youti, Massa Kennedy, Cersa Kennedy and Joana Bracewell deliberately and criminally concealed the information about the murder of the late Tyron A. Browne by defendant Jonathan William from the 15th of April 2018 up to the arrest on April 2018.
CONCLUSION
In view of the supra facts and circumstances, the investigation has resolved to charge defendant Cesar B. Kennedy and Ernest Kermue WITH FACILITATION TO MURDER AND HINDERING LAW ENFORCEMENT IN VIOLATION OF CHAPTER 10.2 OF THE PENAL CODE OF LIBERIA pending trial by court.
Signed
CLP Abu B. Daramy
Chief, Crime Against Persons Unit
ACP G. Alvin James
Chief, General Crime Section.
Addressing reporters at the Temple of Justice Wednesday, Cllr. Arthur Johnson, lawyer for Cllr. Massaquoi said the FrontPageAfrica report exposed his client to danger.
“It is lie and there is no evidence that support the statement of the FrontPage Newspaper. This action of the Frontpage newspaper has exposed our client to danger. More besides, on the basis of that, the fact that it has exposed him and this a serious case for somebody to look at a former law enforcement executive, a veteran in the law enforcement community of Liberia has complete consequences. More besides, this kind of reporting is intended to undermine the national security integrity of Liberia, to say that an ex-official of national security was engaged in such an act, that is not true, we challenge them. The investigative report is very clear, the report did not in any way mention Cllr. Massaquoi or Colonel Massaquoi, remember now that he’s counselor at law also.
Massaquoi in a telephone interview with FrontPageAfrica last week said he had never met the prime suspect Jonathan Williams prior to his sudden visit at his home last Friday to seek counsel. Col. Massaquoi reportedly told police investigators last Friday that the suspect Williams, had gone to his house, and confessed the murder to him, pleading with him to be his lawyer.
The latest wrangle threatens to dampen pursuit of the truth into the death of Journalist Browne with many unanswered questions and the alleged entanglement of a former police chief, now denying what the police charge sheet has alleged.