James Monbedoe Gibson, a cousin to the late Deputy Grand Gedeh County Police Commissioner, Alexander Saye is said to be in hiding, according to family members who reached out to FrontPage Africa. Gibson has been a major critical voice calling for justice for the slain Police Commissioner since his death over three years now. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Saye, was murdered on November 27, 2020, with Sampson Pennue, the National Security Agency (NSA) agent assigned in the same county since been investigated, found guilty and charged with murder and later sent to court.
However, in June of 2021, FrontPage Africa, a local daily, reported through credible information that the court had released on bail suspect Pennue through the 'back door', though, under the Liberian Constitution, murder is a capital offense which forbids convicted criminals from being released on bail. The reported release of Pennue at the time even caused the then Inspector General of Police, Col. Patrick Sudue to accuse the courts of releasing such a criminal who was remanded at the Monrovia Central Prison.
From the onset of the murder of his cousin the late Deputy Police Commissioner Saye, Gibson has led family members, well-wishers, and sympathizers in a series of protests in calling the Liberian government's attention to the need for speedy justice. Years later and when it seemed justice had come, the family became enraged that the convicted criminal Pennue had been released. Out of fear that the hardened criminal could come after him, Gibson has since gone into hiding, according to family members who reported this to FrontPage Africa.
A major basis for the concern, according to family members, is that Pennue is the biological brother to a very powerful and well-established Senator of Grand Gedeh County, Hon. Zoe Emmanuel Pennue.
Article 21(d) of the Constitution states, "All accused persons shall be bailable upon their personal recognizance or by sufficient sureties, depending upon the gravity of the charge, unless charged for capital offenses or grave offenses as defined by law."
The situation at the time led to sources within the Ministry of Justice and the Temple of Justice informing FrontPage Africa that there was an ongoing investigation within the police and the judiciary over the release of detained suspect Pennue on bail. Years later, nothing substantive came out of the reported investigation.
According to the sources at the time, there was a clique within both entities that collaborated to maneuver the release of suspect criminals through a chain of bribery.
The U.S. State Department 2020 Human Rights Report on Liberia documented that, "The constitution provides for an independent judiciary, but judges and magistrates were subject to influence and engaged in corruption. Judges sometimes solicited bribes to try cases, grant bail to detainees, award damages in civil cases, or acquit defendants in criminal cases. Defense attorneys and prosecutors sometimes suggested defendants pay bribes to secure favorable decisions from judges, prosecutors, and jurors, or to have court staff place cases on the docket for trial."
It can be recalled that Police Spokesman Carter at the time of the investigation told FrontPage Africa that the NSA Regional Commander, Pennue was charged with the crime of murder in connection with the death of the Deputy Commissioner of Police.
He disclosed that a police investigation conducted showed that Commander Pennue allegedly pulled his firearm at the victim, but the police did not establish why a live round was pulled at Saye, who also allegedly discharged his firearm
"Sampson Pennoh has been charged with murder and he is the NSA Commander for Grand Gedeh. We have gathered that he was the one who pulled the trigger, but what led to the trigger being pulled, we were not there but the fact established that his arm (gun) was discharged and that of Alexander Saye's firearm was also discharged", the police spokesperson had stated.
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He continued, "The fact that his arm was discharged, points to a logical conclusion that he discharged the firearm that affected Alexander Saye".
Carter ruled out speculation that the alleged act was accidentally carried out by the NSA Commander for Grand Gedeh County.
According to him, all firearm carriers are trained and knowledgeable about methods of preserving and discharging their weapons.
Prior to his demise, DCP Saye served as Company Commander of the Police Support Unit (PSU), Deputy Chief of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU), Chief of the Emergency Response Unit, Regional Commander, Montserrado Region (U-142), and lastly served as Regional Commander for Region Four (Grand Gedeh and Sinoe Counties).
He served the LNP for over 14 years as a tactically trained and disciplined riot control and senior commanding officer who served the Police Support Unit (PSU), the Emergency Response Unit (ERU), and the Patrol Division of the Liberia National Police.
