House orders Transport officers’ appearance

The House of Representatives has instructed Transport Minister Sam Wlue to produce Transport Officers that allegedly detained representatives while on their way to work on Tuesday, 12 June.

Appearing before the House of Representatives Thursday, 14 June, Minister Wlue apologized to members of the House of Representative for the action of transport officers against their colleague Francis Dopoh.In spite of his apology, Minister Wlue was demanded to get his officers appear before the full Plenary of the House on Tuesday of next week.

Minister Wlue says he is not sure he had any justification on what his officers did, but he is sorry that it happened that way. He promises to investigate what the officers did and punish them.

Minister Wlue was invited by the House along with Police Inspector General Col. Patrick Sudue to provide reasons why they should not be held in contempt for the actions of gross disrespect to lawmakers being carried on in the ongoing national vehicle inspection exercise by inspectors of the Ministry of Transport and the Liberia National Police.

But speaking on the matter, Police Inspector General Sudue says the police are the enforcement arm of the government and they were only there to enforce the law.

Also speaking Rep. Francis S. Dopoh who complained the law enforcement officers says whatever action the Minister of Transport is going to take, they should be in the know.

He says Article 42 of the Constitution which states that no member of the Legislature should be detained or arrested, was violated.

After cross examination by members of the House of Representatives, the House took the decision to invite the staffer involved to answer why they should not be held in contempt.

By Bridgett Milton–Edited by Winston W. Parley