Police ask BBC’s Paye-Layleh to return

Liberia’s Police Inspector General Col. Patrick Sudue is calling on journalists including BBC stringer Jonathan Paye – Layleh who left the country over fear of being pursued by people in government to return to Liberia because nobody in government is against journalists.

Mr. Paye-Layleh fled Liberia after being accused by President George Manneh Weah of being against him (Mr. Weah) during his days of advocacy. But Police Chief Sudue told a regular press briefing, Thursday 19 April at the Ministry of Information that no one in government is hunting any media person, calling on journalist Paye-Layleh to come home because nobody is after him.

Speaking on the issue of murdered Liberian journalist Tyron Browne, Col. Sudue says the case is being investigated. The Liberia National Police (LNP) boss says the force is no different from the LNP Liberia had five years ago, arguing that the police are effective just as they were before.

Mr. Sude says in reducing the crime rate in the country, the police need to work with the community because they cannot do their work without the help of the community.

He says criminals are always one step ahead of the police because police do not know that a crime is to be committed until it is committed. According to him, Liberians need to help the police in doing their work because the ratio of police to a Liberian is 887 Liberians to one police. He adds that they have started raiding ghettos and straining of people caught there because not everyone is a criminal.

By Ethel A. Tweh–Edited by Winston W. Parley