Dr. Tipoteh seeks Religious Council’s intervention

2017 presidential aspirant and founding leader of the Movement for Justice in Africa or MOJA, Dr. Togba-Nah Tipoteh, is calling on Liberia’s Inter-Religious Council to urgently set up an independent board of inquiry to investigate “numerous societally vexing cases” here.

A statement issued in Monrovia dated 27 February says Dr. Tipoteh is specifically referring to the “Tokpa rape case, the Gbollie murder case, the Kromah murder case, the Allison death case, the Zayzay death case, the Greaves death case and the Patricks detention case” in the interest of justice and peace for all Liberians.

Liberian politicians and some self-proclaimed advocates have been pushing for independent investigation into several suspicious deaths here, and such demand has intensified following the terrible discovery of the lifeless body of former Liberian Petroleum Refining Company or LRPC boss Mr. Harry Greaves on the beach on January 31.

Following Mr. Greaves’ death, the leader of the opposition Movement for Progressive Change businessman Simeon Freeman swiftly fled the country after he accused the government of allegedly masterminding political deaths and having names of 10 politicians to be eliminated, and similar accusations have resulted to the indictment of Vandala Patricks for criminal libel against the President.

But Dr. Tipoteh has cautioned that in the face of the overwhelming cry of the Liberian people suggesting “no more war” but peace, the Inter-religious Council of Liberia or IRCL must take urgent action to prevent violence.

He believes that such urgent action can prevent violence, and pledged his preparedness to assist the Council in the mobilization of adequate resources. “When the government brings in a pathologist to do investigations and then the government brings another pathologist because credibility remains lacking in the pathological investigations, then an Independent Inquiry becomes necessary”, he stressed.

“When the government investigative machinery complains about its lack of relevant logistics for investigations … an Independent Inquiry is necessary,” Dr. Tipoteh added, contending that when government statements are contradictory with respect to the choice of pathologists, then an Independent Inquiry is necessary.

According to him, when the Presidency faces public exhibition of life threatening action emanating from indecisiveness, indiscipline and lack of mutual respect within its security apparatus … then there must be an independent inquiry which could provide solutions to render not only the Presidency safe, but the people of Liberia as well.

-Edited by Jonathan Browne