Monrovia – The Assistant Justice Minister for Correction and Rehabilitation has claimed that under his watch, release of inmates from the notorious Monrovia Central Prison is strictly done on court order and not by the influence of any higher-up in government.
Report by Kennedy L. Yangian, [email protected]
Assistant Minister Eddie Trawally said this on Monday, May 12, at the Justice Ministry when he was contacted by the FrontPageAfrica over media report that the Central Prison freed a criminal, Kesselly Mulbah, who was detained in that facility on charges of armed robbery and criminal conspiracy.
Popular talk show host Henry Costa on the same Monday on his Costa Show, accused Assistant Minister Trawally of releasing armed robber Kesselly Mulbah from the Monrovia Central Prison on the instruction of Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee.
Commenting on the matter at his Justice Ministry Office, he displayed what he said is the release order of Mulbah.
According to him, Kesselly Mulbah was released from further detention with the charges dismissed based on order from the Criminal Court” D” at the Temple of Justice, which has the jurisdiction over armed robber and its related cases.
When Costa discussed this on his show, he had also posted a photo of Trawally and Mulbah standing side-by-side on his (Costa’s) Facebook page.
In his own defense, Trawally admitted knowing Mulbah long before he had gone to jail and before he became an Assistant Minister so Costa shouldn’t use it say that he had anything to do with Mulbah’s release.
He thrashed Costa’s narration about the whole release thing; adding that it was the “misrepresentation of the facts” and that he was clarifying for the public to understand the actual workings of the central prison.
According to him, while it is true that one of the many functions of the country’s prison system is to commit and release criminal offenders in the society, said function can only be executed legally, not through an individual’s mandate.
“Let me say this clearly that even if my mother or father is imprisoned on an allegation, I don’t have the sole responsibility to free them except by court release order;” adding: “What is done at the prison is being clearly watched by human rights organizations.”
Copy of the release order of Kesselly Mulbah from the Criminal Court “D” at the Temple of Justice before the presiding Judge Sikajipo Wollor obtained by this paper shows that Defendant Kesselly Mulbah was released from the Monrovia Central Prison on March 11, 2019.
The release order reads: “Republic of Liberia by and thru the Ministry of Justice, plaintiff versus Kesselly Mulbah of the Monrovia Central Prison Defendant release order to: Arnold Wollor greetings: You are hereby commanded to release the living body of Kesselly Mulbah to be identified of the City of Monrovia charged with the offense of armed robbery & criminal conspiracy who has been discharged by due process of law: signed Webster Blidi Wreh Asst. Clerk of Court, Criminal Court ‘D’.”
Authority of Criminal Court “D” promised to speak with this newspaper today after inquiries were made to them on the release of Mulbah.