Monrovia – More than a year ago, it seems the bad blood between the Inspector General of Police, Patrick Sudue and former Commissioner of the Liberia National Police for Training and Manpower Development, Commissioner Dao R. Freeman would have never been resolved. Every mean, including legal and internal mitigation to have the feud between the pair resolved didn’t seem to work.
But on Wednesday, August 14, Dao, who is now no longer in the police force because he was dismissed by the present leadership of Col. Sudue, posted on his Facebook thanking President George Weah, IG Sudue and few others for working with him and his former boss to have the impasse “resolved.”
In the post, Dao, currently serving as a part-time instructor at the African Methodist Episcopal University, in the Department of Sociology, had even promised to take down from his Facebook wall previous posts regarding the “past,” on Thursday, August 15.
A police source had told this newspaper that Dao and his legal representatives had met with Col. Sudue and others in the office of the Police IG a day or two before Dao posted on August 14. Our Police source, who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media on this matter, said both men had frank exchanges and smoked peace pipe.
“Dao was just asking the Chief to give him his Police Clearance so that he can move on with his life since he is now a civilian and had been cleared of all the investigations that had been launched by Chief Sudue,” the police source disclosed.
“The Chief assured Dao that he will do it. He even told Dao to take down some of his Facebook posts and assured him that he still has a future in the LNP. I don’t know whether my man Dao has done it.”
When Dao was contacted on the latest development, he refused to speak on the issue, stating, “Please contact my lawyers.”
Background to the Impasse
On Thursday, August 8, Dao had posted on his Facebook an open letter he had written to President Weah asking him to intervene as a former Peace Ambassador and now as President. He begged the President’s indulgence not to influence the proceedings and outcome of a lawsuit between him and Sudue if resolution short of litigation could not be reached. In the letter, which probably is no longer on Dao’s Facebook wall, he states how IG Sudue brags about being a childhood friend of the President and so anyone having anything against him and runs to the President will just be “wasting” their time.
Some newspapers, including this newspaper, had even written stories of claims and counterclaims from both sides. For us, we had written two stories and in the second, we wrote to make clarity on some of the things said against Dao in the previous story.
Dao’s Reason for Writing the President
“My Objective of writing you is to notify your offices—first as one of Liberia’s peace ambassadors and second as the President of the Republic of Liberia/Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia; regarding repeated acts of Human Rights Violation, perpetrated against me by the administration of the Liberia National Police (LNP), under the leadership of Inspector General of Police, Patrick T. Sudue. These human rights violations started first when I was in the LNP dating back to February 18, 2018 and has continued up to present, even into my civilian life. Although you were once an opposition leader, nevertheless, you served as one of Liberia’s champions in its hard-earned Peace and Security, and as such, may play a vital role in mitigating this matter short of litigations while pursuing human rights.”
“On April 2, 2018, I was subjected to a malicious criminal investigation intended to smear my character; and subsequently subjected to witch hunt, harassment, intimidation and professional persecution, simply because I refused to participate in the IGP’s campaign of witch hunt, intimidation and harassment of current and previous leaders of the Liberia National Police, especially Hon. Sadatu LM Reeves and Hon. Gregory O.W. Coleman respectively. Thankfully, the Professional Standards Department/Liberia National Police investigation exonerated me. However, since my exoneration on April 14, 2018, the IGP has refused to give my clearance from the investigation. But instead, I was wrongfully suspended, demoted without an assignment, subjected again to another criminal investigation arising from the same issue I was exonerated from in April 14, 2018, and wrongfully dismissed for Absent Without Leave.”
