Paynesville – The man accused of allegedly harassing and intimidating some residents of Louisiana Township has reacted sharply to the allegations, claiming that his accusers are seeking attention.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected]
Recently, aggrieved residents of Louisiana Township in Lower Montserrado County gathered in front of the Liberia National Police Headquarters in Monrovia, demanding justice in an ongoing land dispute between them and one Blama Wright.
They held placards craving government’s attention to “constant threats and intimidation from Mr. Wright,” whom according to them is “falsely claiming ownership of their lands.”
“Mr. Blama Wright came to our town on Christmas Eve and started calling some people robbers. He told the police officers to put some of our friends in jail. This is the reason why some of us rose to come and speak on behalf of the people in jail,” one of the aggrieved Pastor Jeremiah Teh stated.
According to him, Wright is claiming over 1,000 acres of land; adding: “We did not buy land from him and nobody knows how he got to own the land he is claiming.”
But Wright in his reaction told FrontPage Africa at the start of the week that the current misunderstanding between him and those aggrieved is “far beyond just land dispute but extend to misunderstanding between family line and inhumane treatment meted against his legal representative.”
He said those calling for justice are intending to “safe their faces” from a recent “malicious act” carried out in the area against his lawyer whose name he withheld, for which according to him, police and Sheriff from the court are trying to trace them.
Wright said the court on December 24, 2018 ordered the arrest of those involved with the brutality and ill-treatment of his legal representative sometimes around 2010.
According to him, it had been difficult identifying those involved, and the police requested that he assists them to execute the order.
“Morris Wright and some of those you saw at the Liberia National Police Headquarters grabbed my lawyer, beat him and tied him up because according to them, he always goes to stand for me in court. As I speak to you, that man is still suffering from the trauma and had not been able to get them, so I was asked to help in the process, that’s the reason you heard them telling you that Blama Wright brought people on us,” Blama noted.
Wright alleged that his Cousin Morris Wright ordered some ‘thugs’ to brutalize his legal representative for standing in his defense during ongoing land conflict proceedings at the Civil Law Court.
He furthered that his Cousin, Morris Wright and some of those agitating for justice were using traditional means to intimidate him and his legal representative from claiming 580 acres of land belonging to his late father Isaac Wright.
The land, according to him, is situated in Louisiana Township and shares boundary with the property of the late James Wright – Morris’ father’.
Wright (Blama) further denied sending ‘thugs’ to disrupt the entire community as claimed by the Louisiana residents.
Contrary to their claims, Wright said it was some men in the area who went on the rampage burning homes in the area due to exercise of the court order.
At the same time, he revealed that the land dispute between him and his cousin erupted in 2012 during a survey, when administrators of the land owned by the Dennis’ enter his premise without notice.
“The Dennis’ claimed not to know me and noted that Morris Wright was informed on the matter, when Morris is not the administrator of my late father property. So, I wrote Land Mines Ministry by then on the matter on the matter and as I speak, the case is before the court. The current case we are on involved they and my lawyers and not me, but I will pursue my case afterward,” Wright averred.
Currently, according to him, two acres of his property had been encroached upon by the Kpanya family who also have their property bordering his.
Moreover, he stated that the LNP at the end of a recent conference give a go-ahead to court’s Sherriff to execute their order.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wright (Blama) noted that the court order against those involved with the alleged brutality of his legal representative is the first step, promising to further pursue his property case to the end.