Gov’t probes several suspects

Liberia’s joint security committee, including the Police, National Security Agency (NSA), Immigration and the Drugs Enforcement Agency, announces here that it is interrogating several persons over recent murders following several arrests.

Five terrible murder incidents, including the gruesome killing of a Liberian journalist have been reported in Monrovia and its surrounding, leaving many to panic here.
But Justice Minister and Attorney-General, Cllr. Musa Dean discloses that eight persons have been interrogated and one person detained so far in relation to the horrible murder of a man in Johnsonville, outside Monrovia recently.

“With respect to those arrested in the incident in Johnsonville, we have up to eight persons that have been interrogated and one of them has been detained up to today,” Minister Dean says. Victim Emmanuel Tarpeh was reportedly murdered in Johnsonville and buried in an unmarked grave.

Addressing a news conference in Monrovia Tuesday, 17 April Minister Dean says while government investigates the situation, people of interest are ordered to report to police everyday where necessary.

He indicates that the joint security committee is bringing its full strength to bear in the wake of recent killings here, saying, “our people should be assured that everything humanly possible is being done.”

With respect to autopsy on the body of murdered journalist Tyron Brown, Minister Dean says the investigation is underway and government’s decision and conduct will be informed by the initial findings in the investigation.

He assures that the joint security committee is actively engaged in efforts to ensure that communities are safe. “We are determined to ensure that our people live in peace and without fear; in fact, the only people who will know fear will be the criminals in our communities,” the minister vows.

He quoting statistics of recent murders, he says unknown persons armed with pistols, cutlasses and other weapons forcibly entered one Kebbeh Forkpah’s premises on Clay Street by 1:30 pm on 3 April, injured victim Wilson Tarpeh with a round of ammunition following which he was pronounced dead by doctors.

That incident preceded the one in Paynesville where he says police responded to a call on 7 April and found victim Princess Dwalo lying in a pool of blood with her boyfriend Hansan Kanneh in their bedroom, after which victim Princess was pronounced dead later at the John F. Kennedy Hospital.

Suspect Kanneh, who suffers severe injury at his private part, is being interrogated while he responds to treatment. Minister Dean says several persons remain under police investigation with respect to another brutal murder of Madam Joyce Otujawheh on 24 March at her ELWA residence outside Monrovia.

By Winston W. Parley-Editing by Jonathan Browne