Monrovia – President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has taking aim at those pointing accusing fingers at her and her government over the recent brutal death of her long-time friend, Harry Greaves, declaring that God will expose the right people responsible for the tragic end to the life of the former Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company.
The President, speaking in an exclusive interview with FrontPageAfrica this week, said she first learned of the death of Mr. Greaves while in Addis Ababa attending an African Union meeting. “What else could I feel when Harry Greaves died, other than extreme sadness, because this was a talented person.”
The President declined to speak in depth on the death and controversy choosing instead she says to wait until the final investigation into the Greaves death is completed.
She averred that she has instructed the Justice ministry to look into all aspect of the case and all details associated. “I do not want to speak out on the Harry Greaves issue now because the investigation in my view is not concluded and I said this to the Minister of Justice.
“I said we got to complete this investigation and it must be concluded, starting from the beginning; right from wherever it started at RLJ to the JFK person who received the body; to the people who came to do the autopsy, to the JFK doctor, other doctors that came from the family, all of that need a comprehensive investigation for all of us to try to know.”
Part of the investigation, according to the President involves aspect of the probe involving American investigators; whose report she says is yet to be turned over to the Liberian government.
“The Americans, too, who came and did a lot of interviews, that report too, as far as I know has not reached us. They say they are checking it in the U.S., that is part of it. We need a full investigation. When the investigation has been concluded and a report is out, that is the time I will speak.”
Speaking directly to critics who have been pointing accusing fingers, the President said: “But let me just say this: Anyone, anyone who accuses this government or me of having a part to play in Harry Greaves death is wicked – (brief pause) is wicked, and let me leave it at that. God will expose the right people.”
The President said efforts are underway to address a key lapse in the controversy, that regarding the lack of pathologists to determine the cause of death.
“I believe. There are two graduates from our medical college who are currently in Ghana specializing in pathology. I have said to the Minister of Health and I think she needs to give contract to someone, preferably a Liberian who is willing to come and take a four-year contract until our people have completed their specialization. So I believe she is working on that.”
Mr. Greaves wound-filled body was discovered in the early morning hours of Sunday, January 31, 2016, by a group of joggers in the “God Bless You” Community behind the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia, the current seat of the Liberian presidency.
Two cellphones, a watch, a brown pair of shoes, a back pack and a beige towel said to belong to Mr. Greaves were found on the beach at the R.L.J. Hotel off the Robertsfield Highway, a day before his body was found but not the clothes he was last seen wearing.
At his funeral last month, family and sympathizers vented their frustrations at the uncertainty regarding Mr. Greaves’ death with many suggesting that he was brutally killed, rejecting a government-funded autopsy which pointed to drowning.
Rev. Fr. Victor King, Recor of the St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Monrovia, who delivered the eulogy said: “The Greaves family does not need wreaths at this time. They need justice.
Harry died under a mysterious circumstance that they (family) will need justice instead of flowers. We do not know who did it and why but, family members and friends, leave it to God. God will fight your battle and butter your bread.”
The clergyman went on to quoting the late Bishop George D. Browne, Rev. Fr. King with a warning that: “Episcopalians placed in positions of power and trust should be mindful before they embarrass their families and the church.” Fr. King’s chiding stopped just short of name-calling when he added, “the Episcopal Church controls the security of the state.”
The government of Liberia had previously turned over the body of Mr. Greaves to the family following the first autopsy conducted by Dr. Thomas Bennett and Dr. Matthias Okoye who concluded that Mr. Greaves had died from drowning.
But that took possession again amid a wave of dissatisfaction over the findings of the two doctors. It was based on that conclusion that the family commenced funeral plans and took steps to embalm the body.
The second autopsy was prompted after FrontPageAfrica obtained a copy of a leaked medical report from the John F. Kennedy Medical Center where Mr. Greaves’ body was deposited after it was discovered on Sunday, Feb. 1, 2016.
The JFK reports contradicted the pathologist report which concluded that Mr. Greaves death was a result of drowning and that all the injuries on the body surfaced after his death and were from bumping into rocks in the sea.
In contrast, the JFK reports found that there were blister-like lesions from the neck down to Mr. Greaves’ chest; that there was noticeable peeling of the skin; that both arms were very swollen, large, contracted and still; that his abdomen was bloated, and that his rectum was widely dilated and oozing blood.”
Despite the discovery, Justice Minster Benedict Sannoh confirmed the report in a news conference on February 19 but sought to convince the public that the first pathologist report was more credible than the JFK finding.
“No medical doctor at the Medical Center is licensed to conduct forensic examinations to establish a cause of death. The report did not establish a cause of death. However, medical opinions received thus far indicate that the JFK report is consistent with the forensic examination report, and that there is no contradiction or inconsistency”, Minister Sannoh declared.
Mr. Greaves widow, Precious Andrews Greaves, too expressed outraged and a sense of discontent over the manner in which the entire matter regarding the autopsy is being handled.
Madam Greaves said the entire matter needed to be handled a little bit more professionally and that the family should be part of the process, because according to her, “It seems, what the left hand is doing, the right hand does not know about.”
Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]
