Police investigate CDC officials

Senior executive members of Liberia’s main opposition party, Congress for Democratic Change or CDC are giving statements before investigators of the Liberia National Police, in relation to allegedly flogging of a CDC partisan, Mr. Gbeh Montgomery.

The Police on Monday arrested CDC Youth League Chair, Jefferson Koijii to face probe, but the party’s controversial Vice Chair of Operation, Mulbah Morlu and one other partisan Habakkuk Wommei, had earlier turned themselves in for investigation.

Mr. Montgomery had alleged that his CDC captives threatened to kill him under the alleged instruction of political leader George Weah, for claims that he (Montgomery) was against Weah’s interest.

The suspects have, however, denied the claims, but investigators have not concluded with them yet, especially suspect Koijii, who Police Spokesman Sam Collins said, the Crime Services Division is making effort to extract a statement from.

The complainant, who is also a CDCian, told the Police in Monrovia that while he was seeking a solution to the party’s crisis, co-defendant Koijii had made calls to express his disappointment in him (Montgomery) via mobile phone for siding with embattled CDC Chair George Solo.

Besides the phone conversation that Montgomery said he had with Koijii, he additionally told Police that he engaged CDC Youth League Vice Chair for International Affairs Wommei on the same matter, who he claimed, suggested that they meet at the CDC headquarters in Congo Town.

“I asked Mr. Habakkuk Wommei if the party H/Q was a safe place for our meeting, he said yes,” laments Montgomery. But Mr. Wommei told investigators that claims by Montgomery that he beat on him was  not true, except that he admitted that he was in discussion with Montgomery at the CDC headquarters “when some angry CDC partisans came and disrupted the conversation.”

As for Mr. Morlu, he told Police that Montgomery’s claims were totally false, misleading and bare-face lies, meant to malign his character. Koijii, who failed to honor “repeated Police invitation” for probe was up to the evening hours of Monday being held in custody after his arrest. But his colleagues make appearance when called upon by investigators.

In another development, Police Director Chris Massaquoi, acting Justice Minister Benedict Sarnoh and the NSA are being pressed by the Criminal Court “A” under a compulsory habeas corpus to produce the living bodies of prisoners Jefferson Sanoe and Alfred Cruwu, or the authorities would be issued an arrest warrant.

The court presided over by Judge Johannes Zogbay Zlahn was demanding prisoners Sanoe and Cruwu through a writ issued last week when the sheriff said the prisoners were still at the National Police Headquarters.

However, the lawyer representing the Police claimed that the prisoners had been transported to the Gbarpolu County Police Detachment, something the court has rejected “because it is not supported by credible evidence.”

“Additionally, the alleged transfer of the prisoners from Montserrado County to Gbarpolu by the LNP after they have been served with the writ of habeas corpus was an attempt to circumvent the constitution and statutory laws of this country,” the court’s document read in part.