Monrovia – The Inter-Religious Council of Liberia (IRCL), through its President Bishop Kortu K. Brown has called for an independent investigation to be conducted into circumstances that led to the mysterious killings of two senior employees of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA).
Report by Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
The IRCL is a conglomeration of religious leaders from the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC).
Mrs. Gifty Asmah Lama and Mr. Albert Peters were discovered in a vehicle on Broad Street, opposite the Sacred Heart Cathedral Church in Monrovia during the early morning hours of Friday, October 2.
She was the Acting Manager for Tax Services while Mr. Peters was the Assistant Commissioner for Audit.
The Late Gifty Asmah Lama was known to be a Research Analyst with the LRA but, prior to her sudden unexplained death, she was transferred as Manager for Taxpayers Services – the section responsible for the supervision of all incoming government money. She was assisting Albert Peters who was also commissioned to audit the consolidated account at the Central Bank of Liberia prior to their mysterious deaths.
FrontPageAfrica gathered from impeccable sources that the Central Bank of Liberia has not been making transfers into that account as required. Revenue and account reconciliation, according to an expert, requires spending long hours at the Central Bank.
Sources informed FrontPageAfrica that Gifty and Albert had been trying to trace taxpayers’ payments to the consolidated fund but had not been successful because the Central Bank had not been making the transfers. Gifty, according to sources, may have been assisting Albert to dig out the collection of revenue relative to this account from the LRA tax system.
But speaking in an interview with FrontPage Africa at his office in Brewerville on Tuesday, October 6, Bishop Brown stated that the growing wave of mysterious killings in Liberia has the proclivity of bringing a curse on Liberia,
He noted that people who received monies to take away the lives of other people should not be given a place in the Liberian society.
Bishop Brown added that an independent investigative body comprising of reputable stakeholders must be set up to probe and release findings to the public on the latest incident in the soonest possible time.
He pointed out that God will definitely expose the killers of the two LRA officials if government fails to speedily act to bring some level of relieve to the bereaved families and the Liberian populace.
Bishop Brown maintained that if those killing innocent people are not prosecuted and incarcerated, a negative signal will be sent to countries around the world that Liberia is returning to the “dark days”.
He indicated that the incident has caused a high level of panic among Liberians and other foreign residents residing in the country.
He noted that the “betraying of innocent blood” will bring additional sufferings on Liberians, the bulk of who are already experiencing severe poverty as a result of corruption and are victims of deceptions and lies.
He said it is unthinkable for Liberia, as a country founded on Christian principles to be entertaining the escalation of mysterious killings.
Quoting Exodus Chapter 23: 7, the renowned Liberian Clergyman indicated that those who killed honest and innocent people will not go unpunished.
He added that a curse will also be upon anyone who receives “bribe” to take away the lives of others for fame, revenge, or to please their masters, as well as those who celebrate the deaths of those killed innocently.
“The religious community is deeply concerned about the wave of mysterious killings of innocent people in our society. The killing of innocent people can bring a curse on a nation. It is unthinkable that we have this wave of wickedness going on in our country. For whatever reasons you murdered innocent people, you are bringing a curse on your family, society and you should know that you will not go free. God hates the hands that share innocent blood”.
“The religious community is deeply concerned about the wave of mysterious killings of innocent people in our society. The killing of innocent people can bring a curse on a nation. It is unthinkable that we have this wave of wickedness going on in our country. For whatever reasons you murdered innocent people, you are bringing a curse on your family, society and you should know that you will not go free. God hates the hands that share innocent blood.”
– Bishop Kortu Brown, President, Inter-Religious Council
“God will not acquit people who are guilty of putting innocent people to death for revenge, hatred, or for seeking power over the enhancement of their business. The people who are killing innocent people and those who praised the killers of innocent people, or justified the wicked will not go unpunished”.
He continued: “People who are sharing innocent blood should know that whether they are in church or outside church; in mosque or outside mosque-they are inviting God’s wrath against them. Genesis 4:10 says the blood of the innocent cries to God”.
Bishop Brown further attributed the growing wave of mysterious killings in Liberia in recent times to “selfishness, revenge and hatefulness among citizens”.
Call to MOJ/LNP
Bishop Brown, however, called on authorities of the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia National Police (LNP) not to treat the investigation of the killings of the two LRA employees like other previous investigations conducted.
He said the perpetrators of the act have undermined two growing families, and as such, they should not be made to go with impunity.
“We call for swift investigation and actions. We heard that the LNP has commenced an investigation, but we want it to be as swift as possible. We want people to know that if the government does not bring the perpetrators of this to justice, God will bring it to justice, because God hates the killings and sharing of the blood of innocent people”.
“We do not want this investigation to be prolonged. We call on the police and the Ministry of Justice not to prolong this one. Liberians are concerned about what’s happening and we demand answers. We want immediate answers because this is not good for our society that has seen so much mayhem, chaos, and wasting of human blood”.
He noted that it is disheartening for two productive Liberian citizens to leave their homes and respective family members for work or other normal activities and found dead in such a manner and form.
Bishop Brown said the killings of innocent people in Liberia must come to an end to send a strong signal to people who are engaged or contemplating on taking away the lives of other citizens.
“Who killed the man and the lady? We want to know. How do you leave your home in the morning and then, people find you with someone else in your car dead. Should that be something we should clap for? That’s wickedness on the rise in the country. There is no justification to take away anyone’s life without a reference to the court”.
Rule of land undermined
Bishop Brown claimed that the latest incident also undermines the rule of law in Liberia.
According to him, Liberia is gradually sloping on what he termed as “a collision course” as a result of the incident, adding that, “government should back its statement with actions”.
“We don’t want Liberia to be a curse. Liberia already has plenty problems including hunger, poverty, corruption, hatred, lies, deception, and misinformation. We are already grappling with those problems and now we are accelerating the killings of innocent people”.
Bishop Brown maintained that regardless of status or political affiliation all Liberians should be cognizant of the fact that those culpable or guilty will be held accountable before the face of God even though their acts of wickedness are done undercover.
The clergyman, however, challenged the government to combat the accelerating rate of extra-judicial killings in Liberia like the fight against rape or the Coronavirus pandemic, if Liberia should gain the trust and confidence of investors and others.
“The government of Liberia will do the people of Liberia a big favor if they help us know who killed those people because there is growing fear. People are now saying to one another, ‘you have to be careful about where you go, where you stay or who you interact with’”.
“If we do not take action to bring the perpetrators of this act to justice, or deter the killings of innocent people, it will send the wrong signal. It will signal that we are going back to the dark days. Even Judas who sold Jesus confessed that he sold innocent blood. Why are we betraying innocent blood in Liberia”?