Police probe MOS staff for trucking

Reports reaching this paper reveal that an employee of the Ministry of State for Presidential (MOS) is being investigated by the Crime Services Section (CSS) of the Liberia National Police (LNP) for alleged voters trucking.

The suspect, whose name is being withheld by the police, was accused by citizens of lower Margibi County of allegedly trucking dozens of people to electoral district#2 to participate in the ongoing voter registration exercise in the county.
Police source narrated that as a result of the incident, a Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs’ vehicle (pick-up) is being impounded at the National Police Headquarters, while investigation continues.

Also, police is reportedly investigating another unidentified individual, who was allegedly subcontracted by the Ministry of State employee to recruit people for trucking to voter registration centers.
Police spokesman Sam Collins, confirmed the ongoing probe, but declined to give detail in the wake of the investigation.
Up to press time on Monday, 27 February lawyers representing the alleged suspect were making frantic efforts to ensure the release of their client, pending further investigation by the police.

Several others arrested in connection with the voters trucking incident have reportedly been released due to lack of sufficient evidence.
Most of those allegedly trucked were transported from Paynesville in Montserrado County and parts of Lower Margibi County.
The alleged contractor in the deal, who asked for anonymity, told this paper that he was only worried about the release of those reportedly arrested by the police, adding that some of those under police probe were not part of the incident.
According to him,among them are individuals, who asked him to drop them to Margibi County, but became victims of the situation.
The Ministry of State employee continued that his investigation by the police was political, though he did not say who was behind the arrest.
Moreover, a family member of one of the arrested women, Ms. Mamie Grant Loppoesaid the arrest of the MOS employee was political because the National Elections Commission doesn’t conduct voter registration exercise on Sunday, questioning therefore, where did the police see the people registering, and why there is no ink marked on their respective thumbs?”Several citizens of the county, who spoke to this paper, alleged that the arrested MOS employee in 2005 and 2011 general and presidential elections was involved in similar act in lower Margibi County, and was warned to desist.
Although, there is no independent confirmation, reports have it that the alleged voters’ trucking was facilitated by a representative aspirant in the county.

By Emmanuel Mondaye-Editing by Jonathan Browne