Monrovia — The Monrovia City Court, presided over by Magistrate Ben Barco, has ordered the detention of several protesters affiliated with the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) for their alleged involvement in a riot that occurred on August 22, 2023. The protesters face multiple charges, including attempted murder.
According to court records, the defendants were present at the scene of the riot near the CDC headquarters in Congo Town. The incident, which began around 9 AM and lasted until 2 PM, involved the defendants blocking the main Tubman Boulevard with tires, sticks, and other objects. When officers from the Liberia National Police (LNP) arrived to disperse the crowd, the protesters reportedly responded by throwing stones, resulting in injuries to both law enforcement personnel and civilians.
The LNP stated that sixteen of its officers, who were assigned to the Police Support Unit (PSU), sustained injuries during the confrontation. Among the injured officers were Sylvester Lavelah and Jallah M. Japolo, who were critically wounded and are currently receiving treatment at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center. Officers Mabutu A. Wiles and Daniel Whennie from the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) also suffered head and neck injuries.
In addition to the injured officers, several civilians, including Doris Dolley, Hannah Gwua, and Cheston Ziah, were wounded during the incident. The rioters also damaged several vehicles, including a Toyota Rav-4 belonging to senior police officer Robert Saah and a Toyota Corolla driven by Mohammed Kamara. A white JMC Co-Star bus belonging to LTC staff was also damaged, with losses estimated at $10,000 USD.
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The defendants, who include Aaron Soe, Emmanuel D. Sumo, Korpo L. Boakai, Gifty A. Johnson, and others, were arrested and informed of their constitutional rights. They face charges of attempted murder, criminal facilitation, criminal solicitation, criminal conspiracy, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, rioting, failure to disperse, disorderly conduct, and obstruction of public passages.
In court, the defense lawyers argued for a preliminary examination to establish the innocence of the defendants, asserting that they were merely present at the scene and not involved in the violent acts.
However, the prosecution countered that the charges, including the attempted murder of law enforcement officers, are serious and warrant the defendants' detention.
Magistrate Barco acknowledged the arguments from both sides and ordered that the defendants be committed to prison unless they can post the required bond to ensure their appearance in court.
