Monrovia – At least 15 law enforcement officers of the Liberian National Police and the Judiciary sustained wounds over the weekend while trying to effect a court’s judgment.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo, [email protected]
They had tried to enforce an ejectment action titled, “The Intestate Estate of the late Joseph Jartu Abu by and thru George E.S. Freeman of Monrovia versus Stephen Zeon, Koko Jimmy, Abraham Z. Kai and Jimmy K. Putu of Monrovia.”
The case, according to the court’s staff, had spent over a decade at the court due to the judge’s delay in handing down judgment.
The case was first decided on October 10, 2008, under the signature of Judge Yusif Kaba, where the plaintiff Joseph Abu was brutalized with rocks and later died when court officers went to conduct a survey.
Records in possession of FrontPageAfrica (FPA) indicate that these law enforcers, including eight police officers, had gone to evict illegal occupants from the property and in the process, it resulted into stone throwing. Eyewitnesses said rocks came from every direction and were landing on the enforcers.
The court had instructed its sheriff and the officers to put the plaintiff in possession of the property.
The latest enforcement is now being effected by Judge Scheaplor Dunbar, assigned judge of Sixth Judicial Circuit Civil Law Court “B.”
Judge Dunbar commanded the court staff to oust, evict, and ejects defendants on the property.
But the command resulted to a bailiff been disrobed, stones throwing that led to over five police officers wounded on their heads, faces and several injuries.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commander of the team, Kpehe Nyei, said the assault has consistently occurred.
He recalled that back in 2008 when they had gone to firstly
Bailiff Nyei said stones throwing began within Bassa Town in the Chicken Soup Factory Gulf community when seven Police Service Unit (PSU) officers, four Sheriffs and one scout-boy were brutally wounded. They were taken to a local clinic for treatment.
According to him, the police officers had to flee and all their equipment were taken and are currently in the possession of the community.
In an exclusive interview with FPA, Nyei said in spite of continuous brutal actions against court officers, who go to effect court’s mandates, nothing has been done to improve on their safety.
According to him, he sustained injuries on his hand and another bailiff and police officer heads were seen oozing blood.
Others got wounded on their faces and noses; they had to be rescued by plain clothed officers.
According to Nyei, a land matter is very serious urging the national bar to advice lawyers whose clients are violent to accept court orders.
“I am appealing to the lawyers to allow their clients to understand the court’s process,” he pleaded.
Since the incident last Saturday, October 27, Nyei disclosed that they have used their own meager resources to take themselves to hospitals and no actions have been taken by the Ministry of Justice or the Judiciary.
“We are treating ourselves; no one has spoken to us. This is our lives and what happened to us should be their concern,” he lamented.