Nine men, including a chief arrested and charged with the murder of a 21-year-old man in Bong County, have been forwarded to court by the County's Police Detachment.
The men are accused of murdering 21-year-old Samuel Mulbah, whose lifeless body was discovered in the Jor River recently in Saybay, with his both hands tied together.
According to our Correspondent, there were also wounds on the face of the victim.
Mr. John Kellenso Flomo, Bong County Commander of the Crimes Services Division of the Liberia National Police told a press briefing that the town chief and his deputy gave the order for the deceased to be flogged.
According to Police's account, the decision by the Chief and his men to beat the victim was triggered by an alleged assault carried out by the deceased against one Saturday Kerkulah, another resident of the town.
The Defendants told the Police that Saturday was seen unconscious and with serious bleeding from his nose after he was allegedly flogged by Victim Mulbah for reason yet to be known.
Our Bong County Correspondent following the arrest by the Police gathered from some residents in the surrounding communities that the Town Chief and Deputy asked the remaining seven men to cross the river with the victim and hand him over to the Police, but it did not materialize.
"We have charged the nine of them with murder and criminal conspiracy and as I speak, we are immediately sending them to court. Their action against that boy was devilish and inhumane to the core".
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They treated him like an animal. Their action reminds me of the war days where rebels used to treat people without fear" CSD Commander Flomo said.
Meanwhile, the charged suspects have admitted to carrying out the arrest and further tying Victim Mulbah. But denied throwing him in the river.
According to them, victim Mulbah voluntarily jumped into the river while crossing him in a wooden ferry.
Their revelations have brought chills to many residents of Bong and the Liberia National Police; wondering about the possibility of a tied individual jumping into a river.
"For me, I think these people killed that boy. Assuming that the deceased jumped into the river by himself, why didn't the seven men rescue him since they were so eager to take him to the Community Watch Police as they are saying?
Are you telling me that they stood there and looked at him to drown or they too were not able to rescue him?" Francis Tamba, a local businessman who had gone to the Police station to see the faces of the defendants added.
