By Lincoln G. Peters
Police in Monrovia have charged and sent to court three men for their alleged roles in the murder of victim Kolubah Marshall through mob action last month in Vai Town, Bushrod Island.
Defendants Boakai Passaway and Mohammed Kromah were charged with murder, while defendant Thomas Blamoh, the man who allegedly blew the false alarm that resulted in the mob killing victim Marshall, is charged with aggravated assault.
Blamoh is alleged to be the motorcycle operator who accused victim Marshall of trying to steal his motorbike, leaving an angry crowd in Vai Town to mob the victim to death.
Police say the action of the accused was in violation of Chapter 14, Sections 14. 1, 14. 20 and 10.1 of the Revised Penal Law of Liberia. They are due to face trial in court.
Ahead of the police charges against the accused, several residents of Johnson Street in Central Monrovia staged a peaceful protest on Monday, 4 April 2022 at the headquarters of the Liberia National Police (LNP) in demand of justice over the killing of victim Marshall who was murdered on 12 March this year.
The deceased was also a resident of Johnson Street. The protesters alleged that he was killed by the angry mob in Vai Town following an argument and tussle between him and a bike rider, now identified to be Blamoh.
Protesters claim that Blamoh is the son of Deputy Police Inspector General for Operations Col. Marvin Sackor’s sister.
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The protesters wore black and held placards at the police headquarters with various inscriptions, some of which read: “We need justice”; “Stop mob violence’’; and “Do not know us only when you need power,’’ among others.
The protesters, mainly youth, were in a pickup with speakers, playing music by famous Liberian Hippo star Takun J, “they lie to us.’’
Those who knew the late Kolubah Marshall, 32, said he was a father of two kids and a junior student at the University of Liberia, who was studying Economics as his major and Sociology, as a manor.
They said Marshall sold broken tiles on Johnson Street to make a living.
Speaking to reporters on the grounds of the Temple Justice Tuesday, 5 April 2022, a spokesperson of the group, Ms. Peaches Johnson said they are disappointed over the action of the LNP to only charge two persons with murder in connection with the killing of victim Marshall.
On the day the accused were sent to court, the aggrieved residents of Johnson Street Community again assembled at the Temple of Justice, saying they were disheartened that the bike rider, defendant Blamoh alarmed and called the people who killed Marshall, was charged with aggravated assault instead of manslaughter.
“We are disappointed over the court and the police’s action for allowing Thomas Blamoh [to] go free and send the others to jail. He is the bike rider that called people on Marshall,” the protesters said.
“Because he is Marvin Sackor’s sister’s son, so they charged him with aggravated assault. The judge says his crime is bailable and so he is due to walk away free,” Ms. Johnson lamented.
She noted that they will make sure that justice is done in the case and the bike rider who is released on bond will face justice. She demanded that the police have to amend the charge.
According to the police charge sheet, on 12 March this year, victims Kolubah Marshall and Mohammed Sheriff were engaged in the sales of broken pieces of tiles and used bidets/commodes at Johnson Street.
Police said the victims left their business area for J.J.Y Community [Gardnerville], where they had gone in search of tiles to purchase for marketing purposes.
The charge sheet details that while returning to Johnson Street, victims Kolubah and Sheriff made a stop at Vai Town, Bushrod Island to also search for some pieces of tiles.
While victims Marshall and Sheriff were awaiting the vehicle from the direction of Freeport to cross the main street so that they can cross and gain access to the lane from Monrovia to Freeport, defendant Blamoh who was riding a motorbike from Gabriel Tucker Bridge direction towards the Clara Town direction, hit the victims.
Police said the victims were hit precisely around the H & A business center, leaving Marshall to fall to the ground.
Upon waking up, police said an argument ensued between the victims and defendant Blamoh which led victim Marshall to have seized the keys of the motorbike being operated by the defendant.
While the keys were in the possession of the victim, defendant Blamoh accused Marshall and Sheriff as motorbike thieves and that they wanted to steal his motorbike.
During police investigation with defendant Passaway, he averred that he was busy transferring his things from Doe Community to his new home at Jamaica Road when he heard that a motorbike roque was killed at Vai Town.
According to him, when he got to Vai Town, he saw a group of people surrounding the person that was killed and stood up behind the crowd, observing the person lying down on the road with his ordinary ring beside him.
Defendant Passaway noted that on Wednesday, while he was riding his bike, he saw Hassan Sheriff who came and identified him as one of the persons who was present when the incident occurred.
However, police said their investigation uncovered that he participated along with defendant Mohammed Koroma and others to be identified in the mob action against the victims.https://thenewdawnliberia.com/johnson-street-residents-protest-against-mob-killing/
