MONROVIA – Queen Johnson, declared by the Liberia National Police as a person of interest in the investigation of the mobbing death of Joshua Solomon, has been appointed Director of Records at the National Port Authority (NPA), casting doubts on the progress of the investigation.
By J.H. Webster Clayeh (0886729972) [email protected]
The death of Solomon, a flamboyant model and beauty pageant trainer, on December 1, 2023, sparked accusations, with some pointing fingers at Johnson, a vocal supporter of the Unity Party, as one of the ringleaders seen on camera during the attack.
Videos circulated on social media showed Johnson holding Solomon while he was beaten by Unity Party supporters. On December 4, 2023, the Liberia National Police declared Johnson and several Unity Party members wanted for questioning in Solomon’s death.
Former police spokesman Moses Carter stated that several individuals seen in the videos were identified and asked to surrender to the LNP. On January 6, 2024, Officer Ithamar Harding was dismissed for allowing Johnson to escape custody after her arrest at Red Lion, an entertainment spot in Central Monrovia. Carter reported that Harding absconded with Johnson from the grounds of the Liberia National Police Headquarters, leading to Harding’s dismissal and referral to the Professional Standard Division for questioning.
Despite Carter’s insistence that the LNP would not rest until Johnson and others were questioned, progress on the investigation has stalled. New police spokesperson Cecelia Clarke was unavailable for comment.
Coleman’s promise far from reality?
Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman promised to reopen investigations into several unresolved cases of mysterious deaths, including the mobbing of Joshua Solomon. However, three months later, there has been no news of progress on these cases. Coleman has urged the public to come forward with information on inadequately investigated cases.
“I’m pleased to announce to the public that the LNP has set up a whole Case e-file unit. And we’re opening all those investigations that are still pending to be able to give some closure to the family and to give them justice as soon as required,” Coleman told journalists during a press conference in March.
The Coalition for Democratic Change – Council of Patriots (CDC-COP) Secretary General Foday Massaquio, in a Facebook statement, accused President Joseph N. Boakai of rewarding Johnson for Solomon’s death. He criticized her appointment as a director at the NPA with a monthly salary of USD 3,500, calling it a sign of the mediocrity in the Boakai-Koung administration.
Massaquio claimed that Johnson’s appointment followed her recent protest about hardships and abandonment faced by Unity Party supporters. He argued that the appointment mocked Solomon’s death and his family’s grief.
“Today, Mr. Boakai has ordered her employment through Sekou Dukuly after she recently protested in disgrace about the hardship and abandonment Unity Partisans are experiencing under Boakai’s administration. This appointment is the reward for killing Joshua. A person declared wanted by the Police is appointed and Gregory Coleman is careless, this is a mockery of the death of Joshua and his family.” – CDC-COP Secretary-General said.
Who was Joshua Solomon?
Solomon, a 2009/2010 graduate of Monrovia College, studied Sociology at African Methodist Episcopal University. He worked as a national pageant trainer at the Ministry of Information, representing Liberia in international fashion and modeling competitions.
Solomon was caught in a violent altercation between CDC and UP supporters, suffering severe injuries that led to his death three months later. Eyewitnesses said Solomon was in the wrong place at the wrong time, wearing a CDC beret. A viral video showed him struggling to escape attacks by Unity Party supporters, eventually seeking treatment at a local health center. He succumbed to his injuries on December 1.
A medical report from Fredai Medical and Eye Clinic in Paynesville detailed Solomon’s injuries, including a concussion, severe bruises, physical trauma, encephalitis, and mild dislocation. The authenticity of the report is yet to be confirmed.