MONROVIA – Liberian humanitarian, Dr. Daniel E. Cassell has vowed to give the amount of Five Million Liberian Dollars(L$5,000,000.00), or its equivalent in United States Dollars, to anyone who provides credible information that will lead to the arrest and subsequent prosecution of individuals involved in any of the recent deaths of the four Liberian auditors who died under mysterious circumstances in the country.
Dr. Cassell, is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania, USA, a Licensed Clinical Drug and Alcohol Counselor (LCADC) in New Jersey and the President/Founder of the Kwenah Professional Health Services based in the United States.
He is also the President/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Dr. Cassell’s Foundation in Liberia.
The amount promised as a reward is equivalent to US$27,777 at the local exchange rate of US$1 to L$180.
It can be recalled that on Thursday, October 2, 2020, the lifeless bodies of the Assistant Commissioner for Internal Audit and acting Manager for Tax Payers of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) were found in a vehicle on Broad Street in Monrovia during the early morning hours.
Two days later, another auditor from the LRA, Mr. George Fahnboto, reportedly died in a vehicle accident around 72nd Paynesville, outside Monrovia.
On Saturday, October 10, the Director of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Emmanuel Barten Nyeswa was also found dead in his compound along the 72nd Boulevard, outside Monrovia at 2AM.
Following the mysterious deaths of the Liberian auditors, the government initiated the conduct of autopsies on the remains of the victims.
In a dispatch issued from the United States of America under the caption: “Their Lives Matter: Reward for Arrest and Prosecution”, Dr. Cassell observed that fear has gripped Liberians and other foreign residents as a result of the mysterious deaths of the Liberian auditors.
“My family and I are concerned about the growing wave of fear threatening to overwhelm our country as a result of the recent mysterious, and as yet, unexplained deaths of four Liberians, three of whom worked for the Liberian Revenue Authority (LRA), and the other, for the Internal Audit Agency (IAA). I have reached out to some members of the bereaved families to express our deepest condolences for the difficult losses they have sustained”.
“I have therefore instructed my foundation, the Dr. Daniel E. Cassell Foundation, to offer a cash reward of Five Million Liberian (L$5,000,000.00) Dollars, or its equivalent in United States Dollars, to anyone who can provide credible information that will lead to the successful arrest and prosecution of individuals involved in any of the recent deaths of the four Liberians”.
He noted that the grieving widows, widower, children, other relatives, friends, and for many Liberians, at home and abroad, the lives and mysterious deaths of Albert, Gifty, George and Emmanuel matter.
He added that the Liberian society risks being defined by the loss of these lives, as “unexplainable deaths”.
Dr. Cassell noted that the families of the deceased auditors remain traumatized and hurt to have lost citizens “who headed, and in some cases, held their families together”.
“Many lives in these families will be long impacted by the loss they have traumatically sustained. My thoughts and prayers are with all of these families, and I appeal to all Liberians of faith to join in prayers for these deeply afflicted families”.
“My family and I are concerned about the growing wave of fear threatening to overwhelm our country as a result of the recent mysterious, and as yet, unexplained deaths of four Liberians, three of whom worked for the Liberian Revenue Authority (LRA), and the other, for the Internal Audit Agency (IAA). I have reached out to some members of the bereaved families to express our deepest condolences for the difficult losses they have sustained”.
– Dr. Daniel E. Cassell, Liberian Philanthropist
No answers
Dr. Cassell indicated that though family members of the auditors who died mysteriously in Liberia continue to grieve and mourn the shocking and tragic deaths of their loved ones, they are still without the answers they need to help them heal, and hopefully bring much-needed closure to the difficult experiences of their loss.
“As the head of my family and a father, my heart is broken. I know that nothing we will do will dull the pains of their loss. However, it cannot also be said that we did not do all that we could, individually and collectively, to help these grieving families find the closures they need to heal”.
He maintained that finding reasonable closure is also good for the Liberian society and as such, “it falls upon all of us to do all that we can so that our country remains a safe space for all to live, work and care for their loved ones”.
Dr. Cassell noted that though no society can stop the commission of all crimes, no society can be truly free, and hope to be safe, when alleged crimes are not thoroughly investigated, perpetrators apprehended, justice is dutifully served, and the sanctity of life is jealously protected and preserved.
He maintained that as long as the deaths of the LRA and IAA employees remain “mysterious and unexplainable”, the trauma of fear would envelop the Liberian society.
“No society can realistically thrive in freedom and justice when its people are overcome by fear”.
The latest pronouncement made by Dr. Cassell come at a time two Liberian pathologists are concluding reports on separate autopsies conducted on the remains of the fallen auditors.
The autopsies
Dr. Benedict B. Kolee and Dr. Zoebon B. Kpadeh , who are employees of the Ministry of Health and the John F. Kennedy Medical Hospital respectively, conducted separate autopsies on the remains of the auditors at the St. Moses Funeral Parlor on the Somalia Drive on October 18 and 19 respectively in the presence of civil society actors, some members of the media, and state security officers, among others.
But the family members of Albert and Gifty boycotted the process on grounds that they do not have trust in the pathologists who conducted the autopsies. However, the pathologists vowed to be transparent and honest in carrying out the assigned tasks.
They claimed to have conducted the autopsies on a “pro-bono” basis though they remain in the employ of the Liberian government.
Responding to an inquiry from FrontPage Africa, Dr. Kolee, who has flown out of Liberia with specimens extracted from the bodies of the deceased auditors, disclosed that an “ancillary studies” is being conducted abroad.
Ancillary studies are defined as projects that involve the collection of new data directly from patients or from clinical investigators, or new biologic samples.
Analysis of existing data, existing biological samples, and the resulting publications are the purview of the Working Groups and the Publications Committee, and can be requested using the process of preparing and submitting an analysis concept proposal.
“We are currently doing the ancillary studies outside of Liberia. We are optimistic that the final results will come out 14 days after the date of the last set of autopsies. I am considering a press briefing before that” Dr. Kolee stated in a text message sent FPA.
Final destinations
Following the conclusion of the separate autopsies at the St. Moses Funeral Parlour on the Somalia Drive, the Government of Liberia (GOL) requested family members of the deceased Liberian auditors to collect the remains of their relatives for burial purposes.
In a public service announcement posted on the social media and signed by the husband of fallen LRA employee, Gifty Lama, Sylvester Lama and Apostle Massaboi M. Zuwu, Bishop of the Church of Pentecost – Liberia, the Lama, Asmah and the Church Of Pentecost scheduled November 7, 2020 as the date for the funeral service of their fallen daughter.
They named the F. D. Walker Memorial Temple, The Church of Pentecost, located at Clara Town, Behind GT Bank as the venue for the funeral.
Prior to the funeral service, the families and the Church also intend to hold a wake keeping and memorial service on November 6 and 8 respectively at the Football Field in the township of West Point.
The late Gifty Asmah Lama was a Daughter of the Church of Pentecost-Liberia who served in many capacities in the Church. She rose from just a sister to being a Deaconess, Youth Leader, Financial Secretary for the National planning Committee of the Youth Ministry, and became the Internal Auditor of the Church of Pentecost –Liberia.
Before her mysterious death, she served as a YALI fellow of the United States and the Manager for Tax Services, Liberia Revenue Authority, Republic of Liberia.
Fahnboto has been laid to rest, while the burials of Mr. Nyenswa and Mr. Peters remain pending.