Monrovia – Seven persons arrested in the aftermath of Tuesday’s protest against the Director General of the General Services Agency (GSA) Mary Broh at the Temple of Justice have been freed on bail.
Report by Kennedy L. Yangian [email protected]
The Monrovia City Court released the seven defendants to their lawyer Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe on bail after they were forwarded to the lower court by the Liberia National Police (LNP) on multiple charges of rioting, failure to disperse, endangering welfare and disorderly conduct on Wednesday.
All seven protesters were among a group of youth who stormed the court compound on Tuesday’s morning with placards and prevented vehicles including that of the Chief Justice Francis Korkpor from entering the court yard.
The incident occurred shortly after the Monrovia City Court also located at the Temple of Justice had dropped multiple charges of official oppression, simple assault, criminal solicitation and facilitation against the GSA boss Broh.
The Monrovia City Court a fortnight ago levied the charges against Broh and summoned her to appear at the court for hearing on Tuesday, September 5, 2017 based on complaint from Sheik Kouyateh who alleged he was ordered manhandled and received bodily injuries on order of the GSA boss Broh.
Kouyateh had complained to the court that he had gone to the Vital Statistics Bureau where Madam Broh served as the acting head when the incident occurred after exchanges between both of them.
On Tuesday, the Monrovia City Court Magistrate Kennedy Peabody told the complainant that the court could not proceed with the hearing because the Ministry of Justice, responsible to prosecute cases, said it could not prosecute the case because of lot of insufficient evidence.
Magistrate Peabody continued in his ruling that because of the Ministry of Justice stance on the case that it has insufficient evidence to prosecute the case, the court had no alternative but to dismiss the case without prejudice to the state.
The ruling of the lower court prompted the protest from the youth group who opposed the court’s decision that it was unfair and an injustice to Kouyateh who was seeking justice.
“Broh is not above the law, and justice is not for sale neither it is to be mortgaged, let Kouyateh get justice” said the inscription on one of the placards carried by the youth.
Upon the seven protesters released, Sheik Kouyateh who was among the seven persons told FrontpageAfrica that they were engaged in a peaceful protest in demand of justice when they were arrested, incarcerated and subsequently charged by the police.
According to Kouyateh, they were manhandled by the police during their arrest and three of the protesters have gone missing.
“I was arrested and taken to the LNP Headquarters, beaten and threatened by the Deputy Director of Police for Operations, Abraham Kromah, that he will beat me down to my knees for my affiliation with the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) said Kouyateh, but effort by this paper to contact the police deputy boss Kromah on this allegation proved futile as he did not respond to repeated calls.
Meanwhile, the Concerned Youths For Justice, on the Kesselly Boulevard in Gardnersville, in a statement issued by its Chairman Kalifala Kromah, says it is taken aback by the experience of Kouyateh with the Broh and the controversial dismissal of the case by the court was a sad day for justice and action that questions the credibility of the country’s justice system.
The seven defendants released by the court are Shiek Mustapha Kouyateh, Swahilo Bility, Bassan Kanneh, Abraham Kromah, Mohammed Kanneh, Sekou Bility and Sayon Dukuly.
