Monrovia – The son of Liberia’s Defense Minister has shot a man identified as Zardee Andrews on a local Beach on the outskirt of Monrovia.
Report by Henry Karmo – [email protected]
Michael Samukai, son of Defense Minister Brownie J. Samukai who manages chains of businesses belonging to the Minister accordingly shot Andrews Wednesday attempting to kill his victim in ‘Thinker Village’ along the Robertsfield highway.
According to family sources close to the victim the attempted murder incident occurred when Charlotte Samukai, the wife of Michael, was celebrating her birthday and invited Andrews and others to her birthday celebration at the Tropicana Beach.
In a statement issued by Family members Wednesday, a day after the incident, they said they were constrained and with heavy heart to inform the President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Minister of Justice and all Civil Society actors in Liberia about what they described as the devilish, tyrannical, and attempted murderous attitude carried out by Michael Samukai, the son of Defense Minister of Liberia.
The statement indicated “On September 13, between the hours of 9-10 pm Michael Samukai-son of the defense minister shot our brother Zardee Andrews in his neck attempting to kill him at the Tropicana Beach located in Thinker Village along the RIA highway.
But with God being God, the bullet, according to X-ray report has passed through his neck. The level of damage caused in the neck of our brother is a matter of threatening concerns to the family”.
The family noted that as far as the victim, Zardee is concern there is no intimacy between him and Charlotte the wife of the son of Minister Samukai who according to sources has been in an unstable relationship with his wife.
Accordingly, Michael has been in the constant habit of accusing and threatening men seen around Charlotte.
“Hence, on this faithful day of her birthday when Michael Samukai arrived at the birthday‘s party at the Beach and met Zardee and others sitting with Charlotte, a quarrel ensued as to who invited who to the party.
During the quarrel Michael immediately took out his pistol “45” and shot our brother in the back of his neck”, the statement from family of the victim indicated.
Family members of the victim who is currently admitted at the John F. Kennedy hospital want their relative to be flown abroad to seek advanced medical treatment.
They have expressed serious concern about the life and security of their injured relative and have called on Michael’s father Minister Samukai and the Police to turn over the living body of Michael to the court of law to be persecuted.
They are also demanding the Samukai family to underwrite the medical cost and ensure that the victim is discharged without any physical and or internal problem in his neck for the rest of his lifetime.
The family continued – “It is our quest that Justice be dispensed in this matter as it is shocking to us as to why the Defense Minister son who is not a military personnel and or an assigned fire-arm.
It is our hope and wish of the family that this case involving the Defense Minister’s son Michael Samukai will not be swept under the carpet. Justice is our quest in this matter”.
The whereabouts of Michael remains unknown to the family, upon reporting the case to the Police at the Liberia National Police Headquarters.
The family said they have been told that Defense Minister (Samukai’s) family has already informed the Police about the case though Michael is yet to be arrested.
When contacted Minister Samukai said he feels sorry for the victim, saying it could be his son.
“I felt very bad when I visited the hospital and I am very sorry and I wish him well and speedy recovery. That man lying in the hospital could be my son or any other Liberian”, Minister Samukai said.
Minister Samukai said his son is a grown man and should be held accountable for his action.
“What I want to make very clear is this my son is a grown man. He is not 10 years old.
“He is a 36 year-old man, so he should be held accountable for his action, therefore the Ministry of Defense will do nothing to hinder the due process. He must bear the consequences of his action. I want to make that very clear”, he said.
In angry words, Minister Samukai said: “So, I don’t want anybody saying the Minister of Defense did that or that the Ministry of Defense didn’t do s’’’’t’.
The man who did something is the man sitting in custody. I am not concern about status. I did not commit the offense if my son had done something stupid I cannot be held accountable for his action and nothing about me should hinder the due process of law”.
There are concerns that it is a scaring situation why Michael who is not a security personnel was in possession of firearm.
One source hinted FPA that Michael about a year ago was involved in similar act past, where he assaulted a Police officer with a pistol leaving the officer with injuries.
The drawdown of the United Nations Mission in Liberia has left many Liberians wondering that respect for the rule of law will be a major problem.
Liberia has history where security officials and those connected with them disregard the rule of law and in many instances go with impunity.
Recently, a former official of the Liberian National Police Samuel Nimley shot a resident of the same Thinker village area where the Police announced he has been arrested and forwarded to court but Nimley is still moving freely.