Monrovia – Tiawon Gongloe, the Standard Bearer of the Liberian People Party (LPP) has termed the extradition of Sierra Leone’s former Police Chief by the Liberia government as a violation of human rights and all forms of international treaty.
By J.H. Webster Clayeh (0886729972)-[email protected]
The government of Liberia on Tuesday handed over former Sierra Leonean Chief Superintendent of Police Mr. Mohammed Y. Toure to the Sierra Leonean authority.
Mr. Toure, also known as “Sankoh Paul Alimamy” and “Yeate Yeate,” was apprehended in Monrovia by Liberian security forces following a request from Sierra Leonean authorities. He stands accused of being involved in plotting subversive activities aimed at destabilizing the government of President Julius Maada Bio.
Liberian officials have stated that the decision to extradite Mr. Toure was based on preliminary investigations conducted within Liberia and assurances from the Government of Sierra Leone that his rights, including the right to a fair trial, would be respected. The move aligns with the 1986 Non-Aggression Security Treaty among Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, as well as the 1994 ECOWAS Convention.
Speaking to journalists Wednesday Cllr. Gongloe stressed that Liberia being the first independent country on the African continent is under the obligation to protect the rights of people who run away from their country for fear of political prosecution.
According to Cllr. Gongloe, during the late President Samuel K. Doe, many Liberians ran away to neighboring countries. He added that the then President wanted them back but the governments in those countries refused to return those Liberians over to the Doe’s government.
“Liberia broke record yesterday, a very bad record by sending a former law enforcement administrator who was removed from office and then ran away and came to Liberia for safety of his life and the government turned him over yesterday,” the LPP Standard Bearer said.
Cllr. Gongloe added: “Even if there was an extradition treaty between Liberia and Sierra Leone, the law of extradition treaty states that no one should be send back to his country where the offense is considered political.”
“I consider this as a political conspiracy between the current government of Liberia and the current government of Sierra to protect each other mutually and this is not good for our countries and it is not good for our Sub-region. It undermines the peace and security of our security of this Sub-region,” he noted.
The astute Lawyer also called on political parties, religion groups, traditional leaders and all well-meaning Liberian to condemn the government action added that any Liberian could be a potential victim of such incident.
He added: “There is no legal justification for what the government did yesterday. Even recently the Talk Show host, Henry Costa went to Sierra Leone and it was clear that the government wanted him, the Sierra Leonean government did not turn over. The government violated the rights of a man who came to Liberia to seek asylum.”
“How will the government that said they came to power on the motor of change for hope will be creating this type of hopelessness in the Sub-region.”