Monrovia – Sethi Brothers Limited, one of Liberia’s biggest private investors, has been accused of abandoning an employee, who sustained a life-threatening injury in a fatal car accident while on duty.
Report by Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
Sethi Brothers, owned by a wealthy Indian family, is also the owner of Duraplast, one of Liberia’s leading plastic manufacturers and a steel manufacturing company that is under construction in Monrovia. The company also has several branches in other parts of West Africa, including Ghana.
According to the victim’s family, Amara Trawalley, 32, a heavy duty mechanic, sustained a severe injury in a car accident on the Roberts International Airport (RIA) highway while on the line of duty.
The incident happened in 2018. Family members say the company is refusing to take responsibility on grounds that Trawalley was reportedly not employed.
The management of Sethi Brothers declined to comment on grounds that the case is already in court, and as such any inquiry should be made through their lawyer.
How It All Began
According to family the spokesperson, Harris D. Carto, eight months into the employ of Sethi Brothers, Trawalley and some employees of the company were involved in a fatal car accident while en route to Buchanan on the company’s duty in May 2018. Trawalley sustained a severe injury and was rushed to the St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital where he was advised to seek medical treatment abroad.
A copy of the medical report in possession of FrontpageAfrica under the signature of Dr. Senga R. Omeonga, MD, as the attending physician, points out that Trawalley was admitted at the hospital in painful distress with severe neck and back pain and was unable to walk and stand.
The report added: “Based on the X-ray results, the patient was recommended to travel abroad for further investigation and probable spine surgery.”
However, more than one year later, the victim has not been taken abroad; and when FPA visited him at his residence, he was being carried by his wife because he could not move by himself.
What Happened After the Accident?
According to family spokesperson Harris D. Carto, misunderstanding over who should take full responsibility of his medication ensued between the victim’s family and the company; resulting to him not seeking advanced medication.
He explained that after the incident in 2018, he was given L$200,000 by Sethi Brothers as their contribution since they said they cannot afford all of the expenses because Trawalley was not fully employed.
His wife, Bendu Kamara, took him to neighboring Guinea but his condition did not improve and he was also advised to seek advanced medication abroad. They returned to Liberia and after several attempts to see the management of Sethi Brothers failed, his wife sold all of their belongings including household materials for the upkeep of the family including their four children.
Finally, his family met Sethi Brothers and following sustained negotiations that involved the Ministry of Labor and both parties’ lawyers, Sethi Brothers agreed to send him to Ghana but only on a condition that he affixes his signature to a document prepared by the company’s management.
In the document, a copy of which is in FPA possession, Sethi Brothers’ General Manager, Jaspreet Singh requested Trawalley to admit that he was not an employee of the company, rather an employee of the company’s subcontractor identified as Balwant Singh; and that any assistance rendered by Sethi Brothers was in good faith and not because of any employment relationship.
Carto described the company’s action as a clever attempt to shy away from its responsibilities and lure Trawalley into waiving all of his rights and claims.
The family vehemently refused and threatened to go to court.
Sethi Brothers Accused of Falsifying Documents
Meanwhile, Carto alleged that following Trawalley’s refusal to sign the document, the company agreed to take him to Ghana for medication, anyway but then forged his travelling documents including birth certificates, passport and plane ticket.
“When Sethi Brothers agreed to take him to Ghana, they took Trawalley’s birth certificate scanned it and changed his name to Sekou M. Sannoh, another employee of Sethi Brothers. With that they were able to get a passport for him bearing his photo with different name. The rationale behind this fraudulent act is to get an employee who is insured by the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation [NASSCORP] to underwrite the medical expenses since Sekou Sannoh is an employee who is insured by NASSCORP,” Carto alleged.
With this latest development, negotiation broke down and the family filed a US$1.25 million lawsuit against Sethi Brothers for damages done to Trawalley.
“We really wanted to find a solution to this problem for Trawalley to be given the proper medical care, but Sethi Brothers doesn’t want it that way. They are using their financial powers and influence to abuse a Liberian. They deliberately abandoned him to die. But we will fight it till the end,” Carto vowed.
Cry for Help
Meanwhile, Trawalley’s current health status is deteriorating daily. When FrontPageAfrica visited his home in New Georgia, Gardnerville, he was being carried by his wife as he is unable to walk.
He narrated that his four children are no longer in school because of no support and called for humanitarian assistance as he and his family battle Sethi Brothers in court.
“My wife has sold all of our belongings to take care of me and the children. Now, there is nothing left with us. My children are not in school,” he lamented.
“I will be very grateful if I can get any help from people. My wife is suffering and nothing I can do to help. I feel for her.”