Ex-rebel generals released?

A NewDawn’s investigation is indicating that three alleged ex- rebel generals who were charged and transferred from River Gee County to Monrovia have been released.

In May, former MODEL Inspector Powell Solo, CKA General Power; former Model General Dennis Slayah, CKA Charles Ble Goude and former MODEL field Commander Augustine Vleyee, CKA Bush Dog, were jointly charged with mercenarism and impersonating as security officers before being transferred from a Fish Town custody to Monrovia due to county officials’ fear that the facility is not safe to contain them there.

They were arrested in a Liberian town of Swroken close to Ivory Coast after Weabo District residents alerted district superintendent Harry Quiah over their alleged suspicious movement under the guise of mobilizing former fighters to “discourage” them from going to neighboring Ivory Coast to fight.

A source from the Ministry of Justice in Monrovia hinted that information has emerged on the ex-generals’ alleged release, but spoke on condition of anonymity.

On Tuesday, June 16, Deputy Information Minister Isaac Jackson, said he made contact with Liberia’s Justice Minister and Acting Chair of the Cabinet Cllr. Benedict Sannoh in finding answers to this paper’s inquiry about the ex-rebel generals’ alleged release, but Cllr. Sannoh had promised to check out the information to give him clear message, which Mr. Jackson may possibly provide The NewDawn today.

Quoting Justice Minister Sannoh, Mr. Jackson said the Attorney General said he “had initial knowledge” of the alleged ex-rebel generals in question, but not their alleged release.

“But he’s going to check and he will get back to me to provide a clear message whether or not they are released. So let’s see tomorrow,” Minister Jackson told this paper yesterday.

There have been reports early this week the suspects have been released, but River Gee County authorities said they have no official information as to whether government has released the suspects.

A superintendent in Weabo District, River Gee County where the men were arrested last month, Mr. Harry Quiah said government has not notified him about any release, and he has no knowledge.

But in response to concerns whether there could be security fear if the ex-generals were released, Mr. Quiah said the ex-rebel generals are from Grand Gedeh County, and if there were any information of them surfacing in River Gee, it would be reported.

In another development, Deputy Minister Jackson said an inter-governmental agency headed by the Minister of Internal Affairs Morris Dukuly, has been constituted to do a thorough investigation of recent reports from Grand Gedeh County about some individuals identified as Burkina Faso nationals, entering Liberia thru the border with Ivory Coast to do farming here.

He said the first committee had earlier reported that these individuals were doing “illegal farming” on Liberian soil; and a second incident which subsequently followed the “illegal farming” claim is now being investigated by the Morris Dukuly committee.

A Grand Gedeh lawmaker was reported to have complained to his colleagues on Capitol Hill early this month that some alleged “intruders” from the Ivorian side had entered Liberian forest and were engaged in agricultural activities.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her counterpart of Ivory Coast, Allasane Ouattara had held series of collaborative talks on border security and peace. By Winston W. Parley – Editing by Jonathan Browne