Monrovia – The Ministry of Justice has ordered the Liberia National Police to re-arrest and forward to court three of its officers that were assigned at the Zone 4 Police Depot after the autopsy of the late Alieu Sheriff, a truck driver, showed that his death was allegedly as a result of the brutality they meted on him.
The incident occurred in July in Gardrnesville, a suburb of Monrovia.
Few days after the incident, a large group of angry protesters trooped their way to the Headquarters of the Liberia National Police in demand of justice against ‘police brutalities’.
The protesters, including men, women, and children, gathered during the early morning hours on the Somalia Drive, now the Japan Freeway, holding placards, leaves, huge banners, chanted anti-police slogans marched through Gardnersville to Capitol Hill.
The crowd grew larger the time they reached the police headquarters on Capitol Hill. They were dispersed by the police who shot teargas at them.
The incident caught President George Weah’s attention and requested the Internal Affairs Minister Varney Sirleaf, and the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Williametta Saydee Tarr to join the Police in calling for calm.
It has been more than a month since the incident and findings from the autopsy conducted by medical doctors at the JFK Hospital on the late truck driver has revealed that the late Sheriff died from injury he sustained from the force from the three police officers that were assigned at the Zone 4 Police Station
Addressing journalists at a Special Press Briefing at the Ministry of Information Tuesday, the Deputy Minister for Codification at the Ministry of Justice Nyenati Tuan said on July 29, 2021, patrol officers of the Zone 4 Police Depot were called to respond at the National Transit Authority (NTA) along the Japan Freeway to bring a situation under control.
Having rushed to the scene, the responding officers saw the late Sheriff lying on the ground unconscious and was later taken to the John F. Kennedy Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival by medical doctor, Mr. Tuan said.
The three alleged suspects were later arrested and conducted a preliminary investigation on the order of the Ministry of Justice.
The three suspects who were kept in detention in keeping with the statutory period at the LNP Headquarters were later released by the Liberia National Police.
However, the finding from the autopsy report has now given a different twist as three officers have now been charged and forwarded to court for sustaining wounds on the truck driver, something that led to his untimely death.
“Now that the autopsy report has established that the cause of death is unnatural due to blunt force injury to the back of the head, couple with a preliminary investigation report, we hereby order the inspector General of the Police to immediately re-arrest officers Samuel, N. Borbor, Harris Monger, and Alexander Seakour and process the alleged suspects and forward them to court for prosecution,” Mr. Tuan said.
The Deputy Minister for Codification at the Justice Ministry also assured the public that all will be done to ensure that justice is dispensed without prejudice.
Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General for Crime Services Department (CSD) at the Liberia National Police (LNP), Prince Mulbah has informed the media that the suspects are in the custody of the Liberia National Police in accordance with the Ministry of Justice.
Also at the special press briefing, family members of the late Sheriff were present and expressed satisfaction over the autopsy report.
“The police have just confirmed to us that the suspects have been arrested and we expect nothing else for them to be charged and forwarded to court as soon as possible. We expect nothing else but the law to take its course,” Amara Fofana, a sympathizer of the late truck driver said.