MONROVIA – Hundreds of aggrieved citizens from District # 16 in Montserrado County staged a peaceful protest demanding justice for the death of 25-year-old Princess Cooper, with a call on members of the 54th National Legislature to enact a law compelling the installation of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTVs) at all large businesses and companies operating in Liberia.
The lifeless body of Ms. Cooper, a resident of the St. Paul Bridge Community, and a graduate of the St. Matthew United Methodist School in Logan Town, was found on Thursday, March 24, 2022, in a fence behind the FAWAZ Building Materials & General Goods and EWA Store at ELWA Junction in Paynesville.
The victim left her St. Paul Bridge residence early Thursday morning to do some catering work around the Capitol By-Pass area. While there, Princess later received a call and she informed her workmates that she was going somewhere and would return shortly.
But she did not return as promised until her remains were found behind the store.
The government, through the Liberia National Police (LNP) launched an investigation into the matter and called for the conduct of an autopsy.
But the aggrieved community dwellers, including friends of the victim under the banner: Citizens United To Ensure Justice For Princess Cooper, stormed the Capitol Building during the early afternoon hours of Monday, March 28, chanting slogans for justice to prevail in the matter.
They had gathered to petition their lawmakers to intervene into the matter.
They also held placards with inscriptions: “Our mothers and sisters need to live out of fear; Give us justice; Justice for one, justice for all, Princess Cooper life matters; We will not rest until we get justice, Enough is Enough, Justice delay is justice denied”, among others.
In a petition statement presented under the signatures of the group’s Chairman and Secretary General Alexander Howard and Alphonsus S. Weah respectively, the aggrieved citizens observed that since the inception of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led government of President George Manneh Weah, “mysterious deaths and ritualistic killings are becoming the order of the day in Liberia”.
“We, members of the St. Paul Bridge Community located in the Borough of New Kru Town on the Bushrod Island, outside Monrovia, under the banner Citizens United To Ensure Justice For Princess Cooper, have gathered before the Capitol Building today, with bleeding hearts to mourn and demand justice for the mysterious death of our daughter, sister, niece, aunt, friend, neighbor and community member, the late Princess Cooper-a caterer, beautician and a mother of a seven year-old boy”.
They continued: “Since the news of the untimely and mysterious demise of this young Liberian lady, her boyfriend Samuel Foyoh, Sr, son Samuel Foyoh Jr, parents, relatives, neighbors and community dwellers have been psychologically traumatized and downhearted”.
“Honorable Representatives and Senators, we vehemently reject and do not want the death of Princess Cooper to be treated like the deaths of other Liberians, who were mysteriously killed or gruesomely murdered in cold blood.”.
The petitioners named auditors Gifty Lamah, Albert Peters of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), Emmanuel Nyeswa of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), George Fahnboto of LRA, the three missing boys who were hired by St. Moses, Journalists Chris David of radio Parachute in Bong County, Tyron Brown, the agent of the Drug Enforcement Agency Robert Toe who was killed in Grand Bassa, Police Commissioner Alexander Saye who was killed in Grand Gedeh, EPS agent Melvin Earley who was killed in Nimba County, as well as little Thomas Kollie and Elijah Porluma who were found dead in Kingsville, little Francis Mensah killed during the first COVID 19 lock down in West Point as some of those who have loss their lives under mysterious circumstances in Liberia.
They also made reference to the deaths of 29 Liberians at a crusade stampede in district 16, the 17 passengers including 8 WAEC staff who died as a result of a shipwreck on Niko Ivanka vessel, student Odell Sherman, Vivian Wright, Jacqueline Anderson, William Tolbert III, John Tubman, LIS agent Maude Elliot, CBL Driver Kollie Ballah, Mulbah Kunyon, Eliza Roberts, and Afoa Williams, as suspicious or ritualistic deaths which occurred during this administration.
The aggrieved citizens maintained that these people were killed, raped to death or died mysteriously, but up to date; the perpetrators have not been brought to justice or made to pay for their crimes committed.
“How long will you (lawmakers) sit supinely with folded arms and crossed legs doing anything? You were elected to advocate for the betterment of the lives of your respective constituents, but you have not done enough to checkmate and guarantee the security and wellbeing of those who elected you at the helm of power”.
They emphasized that the mysterious death of Princess Cooper should serve as a wakeup call to members of the 54th National Legislature and it should also sound a caveat that legislators too are not safe, along with their children, spouses, wives, husbands, friends, relatives, neighbors and even their employers-the people who elected them are also insecure and can no longer move around freely in their own country.
“We challenge you to put on an iron fist by stepping up your oversight responsibility and compel state security actors to live up to their responsibilities to make Liberia a safe and peaceful place for all”.
Sugar-coated and deceptive police report
On Friday, March 25, 2022, the Liberia National Police (LNP), through its Spokesman Moses Carter provided preliminary investigation into the mysterious death of Princess Cooper and informed the public that there was no foul play and the police was continuing with the probe.
Carter failed to provide updates on statements that were taken from those they called “persons of interest” who were in their custody.
The aggrieved Liberians noted: “We believe that the decision taken by the police to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of foreign entrepreneurs and their properties over the lives and wellbeing of its own citizens is not only heartless and devilish, but it clearly shows that we are only left with the mercy of God to move freely or survive in our country. We have also been reliably informed that under heavy security escort, the owner of the Fawaz Building Material Store and other family members absconded Monrovia for an unknown destination”.
They emphasized that though it is the responsibility of the police to protect lives and properties of not only Liberians, but other foreign residents in the territorial confines of Liberia, they strongly believed that the police remain very selective in executing its assigned tasks and responsibilities.
They added that the safety and wellbeing of Liberians are allegedly being downplayed, while foreign nationals and their respective family members are given preference in terms of protection and security over Liberians.
“With the current unfolding and the flimsy, deceptive and sugar-coated preliminary report provided by the police, which raises more questions than answers, we remain doubtful that the police will conduct an impartial investigation into the matter”.
Counts to lawmakers
The aggrieved citizens, however, called on members of the 54th National Legislature to ensure the conduct of an independent investigation to ascertain circumstances which led to the death of Princess Cooper.
They want an independent autopsy to be conducted on the remains of the victim with representatives of the media, religious community and civil society in attendance.
Enact law on CCTV
They stressed the need for members of the National Legislature take keen from the Princess Cooper incident by enacting a law to ensure that all large businesses and companies operating in Liberia install CCTVs at all of their facilities.
According to them, lawmakers should also compel the police to provide updates and release the full names of the suspects or persons of interest that are undergoing the investigation which was launched to avoid the compromising of the case for personal gains.
They maintained that the ongoing investigation should be fast-tracked for the perpetrator (s) to be brought to justice.
“Honorable Representatives and Senators, we believe that justice delay is justice denied and therefore, we will not rest until the cold-bloody killers of Princess Cooper are brought to book. The late Princess Cooper and her boyfriend struggled for several years. They just concluded the planning of their wedding when this unfortunate incident occurred. Her mysterious death has the propensity of creating chaos in our country, and therefore, any independent investigation launched into the matter should not be taken for granted or compromised by anyone.
No justice for the poor
The petitioners observed that Liberia is gradually turning into a country where there is no justice for the poor.
Despite the situation, they maintained that, “we the Citizens United To Ensure Justice For Princess Cooper, will continue to exercise our constitutional rights t until justice prevails in the matter”.
Act now
“It may be you Representative or Senator tomorrow, your loved ones or relatives and that’s the reason why we have gather to petition you to ACT NOW or we all may be killed or mysteriously found dead one after the other, while the perpetrators continue to walk with impunity. We believe that the security of the state is at stake if these killers continue to roam around with pride and dignity, with state security actors exerting no efforts to have them arrested”.
Receiving the petition, the Chairman of the House Committee on Claims and Petition, Rustolyn Dennis, promised to ensure that the petition is given credence to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.
She noted that though lawmakers do not have the power to investigate, they will use their powers “to summon the investigators” to provide information on the probe.
She urged the petitioners not to relent to contact their lawmaker when they noticed that a foul has been played in the ongoing investigation.
“We want to say a big thank you for organizing yourselves in a very peaceful manner. Effectively and immediately, we are going to review your petition today and forward it to the Honorable Speaker. We can assure you that if Princess was murdered, we are trusting the judiciary to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice. It is our duty to exercise our oversight”.
“Princess story is a test to this government that your people are resolved that they want to know what really happened to Princess. We want to know whether she was murdered or she died a natural death”.
Representative Dennis, however, reminded the petitioners that they have a good case, but only the autopsy will verify whether or not the victim was killed or died naturally.
She encouraged the aggrieved citizens to remain forceful, but refrain from violence in a bid to ensure that justice prevails in the matter.
“We thought on who made the call to the lady (Princess Cooper)? Only the call log that can tell us what happened. We expressed our sincere thanks to you and we stand with all of you. We are very much concerned because, it happened in my district”, Representative Samuel Enders of district 6 in Montserrado County stated.
He expressed the hope that members of the National Legislature will take the petition seriously to act in the interest of their people.
Meanwhile, the group, Citizens United to Ensure Justice for Princess Cooper, has vowed to carry out persistent civil disobedience if the lawmakers failed to implement their petition.
Chairman Howard observed that the culture of impunity has been an aged-old problem in Liberia, and as such, the incident which led to the death of Princess Cooper must be thoroughly investigated.
He threatened that any attempt to compromise or sweep the matter under the carpet will be met with stiff resistance.