Maryland County, Liberia — Police in Pleebo, Maryland County, are interrogating a suspect in his 40s for attacking a 27-year-old victim with a cutlass, inflicting multiple wounds on his body.
- Police in Pleebo, Maryland County, have arrested a man believed to be in his late 40s, identified as Benedict Swen, for allegedly chopping his 27-year-old victim, Francis Wesseh, multiple times on his head and both hands.
Victim Francis Wesseh narrates that Suspect Benedict Swen alleged that he heard strange voices while walking about but was informed by others that Francis had a camera connected to his phone monitoring him (Swen), so the voices he was hearing were that of Francis.
Francis continues that Suspect Benedict Swen then took him to court, and a sheriff from the court came to arrest him, informing him that he was needed because Swen had taken a complaint before the court.
One of the court sheriffs called me aside and said, 'My man, what surprised me on the bike was that on our way here, the man claimed that you were talking in his hears, which made everybody weak", he said.
According to him, the sheriff informed him that Suspect Swen threatened to kill him, so they were there to take him away for safety.
"When we reached the court, the guys asked me where the CC cameras were. The man said you have CC cameras, and I told them the only thing I have is Canal+ satellite TV, so I don't know what you people are talking about. After the explanation, they said you'd come back next month."
He said that for more than four months now, he and Suspect Swen had never spoken to each other. To his surprise, suddenly, when he went to his business place, he saw Swen passing by with nothing in his hand. Because customers were there, Swen did not enter the business center, but later, he came and sat with him.
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"I was not focusing on him, not knowing that he bought a new cutlass this morning because of me, and surprisingly when I lifted my head, the cutlass was already in the air; I was left with no option but to block it with my left hand, while waking up Swen started doubling the cutlass all over my body, including my head and body before community dwellers rescued me," Victim Wesseh narrated.
Meanwhile, when the Pleebo Head of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, Boniface Nyemah, went to the police station to query Swen, the suspect said he could not speak to anybody on grounds that he was feeling severe pain as a result of alleged flogging received from community dwellers.
The INCHR boss is calling on the victim's family to remain calm, as the Commission is doing everything possible to bring Suspect Benedict Swen before the law.
Victim Francis Wesseh was rushed to the Pleebo Health Center, where he was treated and later discharged, while Police continued with interrogation of the suspect. Editing by Jonathan Browne
