Police Chief faces Senate

The Inspector General of the Liberia National Police (LNP) Patrick Sudue is expected to face the Liberian Senate Thursday, 8 March to give clarity on the reemergence of commercial motorcyclists at certain routes that were earlier deemed “no – go zones.”

The decision to invite Col. Sudue comes following a communication by Lofa County Senator Stephen Zargo on 6 March which contains argument that police authorities banned motorcyclists from plying the principal streets of Monrovia after thorough consultations with national security institutions and international partners based on two prevailing factors at the time.

According to Sen. Zargo, the first factor was the rate at which road accidents involving motorcycles and motorcyclists were occurring and the second was the increased usage of motorcycles and motorcyclists in the commission of crimes, especially by armed robbers.

He emphasizes that these two factors taken together were sufficient reliance to impose the restrictions. He observes that within a very short period of time into the implementation of the restrictive measures, there was an appreciable decrease in the number of road traffic accidents, while on the other hand crimes like robbery and their likes which were usually perpetrated with the aid of motorcycles decreased as well.

Zargo also says a statement from the spokesman of the Liberia National Police on 5 March 2018 contained a different interpretation of the general pronouncement made by the Executive.

According to him, one version had it that the police chief was said to have instructed the motorcyclists to converge at SKD to enable him explain the Pro-Poor agenda on the one hand and on the other hand to lift part of the restrictions imposed by his predecessor.

Sen. Zargo concludes that the pronouncement seems to amount to a manifest ambiguity, thereby subjecting the ban on motorcyclists to multiple interpretations.

By Bridgett Milton–Edited by Winston W. Parley