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Liberia: Rights Group Condemns 'Police Brutality'
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The NEWS (Monrovia)
22 April 2008
Posted to the web 22 April 2008
A local human rights advocacy and humanitarian group, Human Rights Group to Save Humanity has condemned the growing wave of police brutality and abuse of public office by local authorities against peaceful citizens in Gola Konneh District, Grand Cape Mount County.
A release quotes the group Executive Coordinator J.S. Elijah Gbanja-Seh, Sr. as saying that during his weeklong assessment visit in the district, victims, relatives including citizens of the district were crying out for justice and protection as police officers assigned in the area and the District Commissioner's office were no longer providing them protection, but brutalizing them on a daily basis.
He said a 48-year-old woman identified as Madam Sando Seimavola reported that she was manhandled by a police officer and an aide to the District Commissioner. She claimed that she was manhandled and driven naked on the back of a motorbike belonging to District Commissioner Amos B. Musa at Lofa Bridge Police Depot and later chained on the leg while in detention for 12-13 hours without food and water.
The group, in the release further explained that Madam Seimavola requested the police officer to see her husband on the matter but he and the District Commissioner's aide allegedly refused to grant her legal and fundamental rights.
The rights group said while in detention, Madam Seimavola was demanded by the District Commissioner to pay L$500 to secure her release.
She explained that her house and bedroom were ordered to be searched in her absence without a search warrant by the District Commissioner and the searchers took away her 10 grams of gold.
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In a related development, another victim, Opa Sherrif, a pity businessman alleged that a police officer assigned at the Weajue Police Depot only identified as Smith inflicted wounds on him while forcefully attempting to arrest him as a means of silencing him when he (victim Sheriff) requested officer Smith to turn over a mobile phone that was in his possession.
Meanwhile, the group Executive Coordinator disclosed that the police officers including their bosses in the district are engaged in extracting money from victims and even alleged perpetrators on a daily basis as their depots were now turned into court rooms instead of preliminary and investigative referral centers.
However, the rights group boss is calling on the government to probe the alleged police brutality, human rights abuses and abuse of public office by local authorities against innocent citizens and bring the perpetrators to justice.
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