MONROVIA – The lawyer Representing the legal interest of Henry Costa has told newsmen that he has been instructed by the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) to report to their headquarters on a daily basis while his client has been declared a fugitive.
Mr. Costa was declared fugitive and a wanted man Wednesday morning after he (Costa) along with his lawyer failed to make an appearance at the Immigration Headquarters for further investigation into how he obtained a liasser-passez alleged to have been forged.
In an interview with reporters Cllr. Findley Kangar said the mandate from the LIS is a violation of his freedom of movement and promised that his legal team headed by Cllr. Samuel Kofi Woods will respond to the mandate.
“I have had no interaction with my client for a couple of days. I was invited by the LIS and we had a meeting and basically it is an attempt to restrict my movement. They have asked me to report to the LIS on a regular basis – meaning my freedom has been curtailed.
“I do not know about any extradition process going on right now. I was informed that my client was arrested along the airport and the LIS Commissioner Robert Buddy said he was happy that has happened. It is a violation to my constitutional rights to free movement. As a lawyer I am engaged and don’t have time to regularly report,” Cllr. Kangar said.
According to him, he is being told to report because he was to produce the living body of Costa at the LIS on Wednesday morning but failed to do so. “They want me report, they said I was to produce Costa and now that he has been arrested I should call him on a daily basis.”
Mr. Henry Costa, leader of the Council of Patriots (COP) was due to be returned to Liberia today, following a request from the George Manneh Weah-led government, seeking extradition of its chief critic and provocateur who reportedly fled the country on Sunday. The process, FrontPageAfrica has learned, has run into some legal and extradition treaty complications.
Liberian government sources confirmed to FPA late Tuesday that Mr. Costa would be returning to Liberia by way of Africa World Airlines (AWA) Wednesday morning from Freetown via Accra, Ghana. The Monrovia-bound AWA flight on which Mr. Costa should be on, departed Freetown a 9am this morning passing through Accra before arriving in Monrovia by 1pm.
FPA has learned that Mr. Costa who was being held at the Lungi International Airport was removed from there this morning and taken back to Freetown, meaning he will not be on the flight as expected.
“I have had no interaction with my client for a couple of days. I was invited by the LIS and we had a meeting and basically it is an attempt to restrict my movement. They have asked me to report to the LIS on a regular basis – meaning my freedom has been curtailed.”
– Cllr. Findley Kangar, Henry Costa’s lawyer
The COP leader has reportedly solicited the help of a group of lawyers in Freetown to help prevent his extradition to Monrovia.
Mr. Costa had reportedly traveled to Liberia’s next-door neighbors in hopes of connecting on a flight to the United States of America. The COP leader is being investigated over his acquisition of Lassez Passer while being in possession of a valid passport. It’s alleged that the travel document he carries is forged.
Mr. Abraham Dolley, LIS Spokesperson, appearing on OK FM Tuesday, said Costa refused to show up for investigation after series of calls placed to his legal team.
Dolley said Costa has been given up to 9 am Wednesday, January 15, 2020 to appear, adding that failure to appear, Costa will be declare a wanted man by the Liberia Immigration Service.
Sources: Extradition Request ‘Not at Highest Level’
FrontPageAfrica has learned that the request for Mr. Costa’s return was not made at the highest level of government but rather between the Liberia Immigration Service and its counterparts in Sierra Leone.
FrontPageAfrica has learned that diplomatic channels are currently at worked between the two countries to work around an extradition of Mr. Costa albeit some complications.