MONROVIA – A 78-year-old woman has filed an official complaint with the Professional Standard Division (PSD) of the Liberia National Police (LNP), accusing some officers and a civilian of manhandling and illegally incarcerating her for four days without food.
Speaking in an Interview with FrontPageAfrica, Malawuo Wolobah, a resident of Mount Barclay, accused a man she only identified as Joseph of going to her business area and taking some of her planks worth L$1,800 on credit. She said she was not present when Joseph took the planks on account.
According to her, when she arrived at her business area, her son informed her that Joseph had taken some planks and had promised to pay later.
The following day, she said she went to collect her money from Joseph to enable her to transport herself to Monrovia. She met Joseph and a police officer she identified as Kamara.
She said when she asked Joseph for her money, he informed her that he did not have money and that she should move from in front of him. He allegedly further insulted her that she was smelling like “urine”.
She narrated that because of Joseph’s response, she insisted that she needed her money and while going back and forth with Joseph for her money, Kamara insulted her and asked her to leave the police premises, else, he would have her jailed for being ‘rude’.
Just at that moment, according to her, Kamara and another officer who was present interrupted her and reign insults at her while at the same time, forcing her to leave the police premises.
She said she refused and insisted that she wouldn’t leave until she got her money. She said, they then intensified their insults at her, and which she also told them that it was their mother they were reigning insults at, not her.
She said, after she had told them that they were insulting their mothers instead of her, they grabbed her by her legs and hands and took her to the cell where she was allegedly kept behind bars for four days without any of her relatives knowing her whereabouts.
She said she was told that she was incarcerated because she insulted the police officers. She further alleged that she spent four days behind bars without being fed.
She said it was only later her Son got informed that she was in Jail and he later visited to inquire why she was in Jail.
Unfortunately, when she was released and went home, she discovered that some of her items had been stolen, including her new motorcycle.
She filed the complaint with the PSD in late March, but the investigation into her complaint is yet to begin, she said.
Meanwhile, the PSD has confirmed receipt of her complaint and said it is investigating the matter.