Liberia: S. Leone Arrests Council of Patriots Leader Henry Costa; Turning Him Over Wednesday
MONROVIA – FrontPageAfrica has been reliably informed that Mr. Henry Costa, chairman of the Council of Patriots (COP) has been arrested in Freetwon, Sierra Leone.
Reasons surrounding how he was arrested remain scanty.
However, FrontPageAfrica gathered that he would be extradited to Liberia on Wednesday via the Roberts International Airport onboard Africa World flight.
A source within Sierra Leone authorities says they have him under protective custody but FPA has learned he is being held on request by the Weah administration who have asked for him to be returned to Liberia.
Also, Mr. Costa lawyers in Sierra Leone are trying to block his return because they are not convinced he would face a fair trial in Liberia.
But Costa in a Facebook post at about 1:15 am wrote: Don’t worry. I will be okay. The Sierra Leone authorities are being very professional and nice to me. I posted this myself because they let me use my phone. It will be resolved.”
Henry Costa has been undergoing investigation in Liberia over his acquisition of laissez-passer which immigration officers have identified to have been forged.
However, the Spokesman for the Liberia Immigration Service told OK FM, a local radio station in Monrovia on Tuesday that Costa had not been collaborating with the investigation on how he obtained the laissez-passer.
Spokesperson Abraham Dolley said Costa refused to show up for investigation after series of calls placed to his legal team.
Dolley said Costa was given up to 9 am Wednesday, January 15, 2020 to appear, adding that failure to appear, Costa will be declared a wanted man by the Liberia Immigration Service.
During a press conference on Sunday, Costa accused the government of swapping the laisser-passez he entered Liberia with on December 19, 2019 with a forged one in an attempt to have him incriminated.
“The laissez-passer that was presented to me by the Liberia Immigration Service boss is false and it is not the same laissez-passer I presented to them on the airport when I came. They have the original,” he said while speaking to reporters on Sunday.
More details to follow soon…