Monrovia – Emmanuel Tarnue, an advocate of J. Barbee Yekeson, who lost three of his ribs as a volunteer teacher, says that there’s a need that the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) revisit the case.
In 2007, J Barbee Yekeson, encountered his ordeal when was working as a volunteer teacher at the time he was seeking refuge in neighboring Guinea. He was badly beaten by two security personnel, Mohammed Keita and Lout Kamara, on allegation of stealing tarpaulin.
In an interview with FrontPageAfrica on Wednesday, Mr. Tarnue said the perpetrators of the crime committed against Yekeson were security personnel assigned by the UNHCR.
“Mr. Yekeson here was a volunteer teacher in the camp, he was falsely accused and brutalized by the security that the UNHCR assigned to protect the refugees,” said Tarnue.
“They assaulted him to the point where he sustained life-threatening injuries; that means three of his ribs were broken and they kept him in the refugee camp for over a week without any proper medication,” he explained.
Tarnue, however, said that after the incident occurred, the Liberian refugee committee intervened and over six X-rays were conducted on Yekeson which revealed that his ribs were broken.
“When the UNHCR Medical Director came in, Dr. Diallo, looking at his condition and the X-ray result he concluded that Mr. Yekeson life expectancy was limited…so he called a staff meeting and bribed the doctors to issue false medical certificates,” Tarnue alleged.
Tarnue also alleged that the Yekeson’s family was neglected and “forced” out of the camp without any proper medical attention for their father.
When contacted for comments on the allegation, the UNHCR offices in Liberia declined to comment but said they will issue a statement that addresses the situation.
A formal complaint has been filed to the Ministry of Justice has not been any redress by the Ministry, Tarnue said.
The advocate along with Mr. Yekeson and his family including his wife and children staged a peaceful protest in front of the UN One House in Monrovia. According to them, they will continue to protest daily until the UNHCR gives them redress.