Police ordered to produce detainees

Police Director Chris Massaquoi and “all those working under the scope of his authority” have been commanded by the Criminal Court “C”, Temple of Justice to produce the living bodies of Prince Tamba and Johnson under a writ of “hebeas corpus.”

The complainants’ lawyer, Cllr. T. Dempster Brown, filed a complaint Tuesday, September 1 in which he alleged that police entered the victim’s residence at Center Street in Monrovia and held him and his family at gun point while they were asleep.

During the alleged incident, the complainant claimed the police searched his home and took away 90,000 Liberian Dollars which he said, was given to him by his mother, Madam Hawa to purposely convert to US Dollars.

According to the lawyer, the victim’s mother had intended to use the amount to travel to China to buy goods for sale in Liberia. Cllr. Brown detailed that after police took the money, the petitioner alarmed and questioned the police why they allegedly took his money.

“Because of the alarm raised by the petitioner, he was arrested and detained at the Liberia National Police Headquarters, and since six days, the Respondents refused to charge the petitioner and send him to Court,” the lawyer said.

Hence, he wants the court to compel the police to produce the victim’s living body in court or set him free for the alleged violation of his right under Article 21 (F) of the Liberian Constitution. A Writ of Hebeas Corpus requires a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court, especially to secure the person’s release unless lawful grounds are shown for such detention.

The Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice issued the order on September 1, after counsel representing the petitioners filed a complaint with the Circuit Court.

By Winston W. Parley – Editing by Jonathan Browne