Police raid Rose Garden Plaza

Credible police sources have hinted that intelligence officers of the Liberia National Police raided the Rose Garden Plaza near Crown Hill on Thursday, June 11, to allegedly retrieve a lot of anti-Ebola supplies believed to have been shifted there by some individuals, who had been catering to Ebola centers here.

Rose Garden is said to be owned by a former Finance Minister under the interim regime of the late Gyude Bryant, Mr. Tugbeh Doe and others.

This paper could not immediately get comment from Rose Garden Plaza authorities in spite of efforts made, as internal security officers on duty declined to give contacts for any of their bosses, only insisting that they had gone home.

Three of the internal security officers talked to in the premises of Rose Garden Plaza after the police raid yesterday, Mr. Trokon Bernard – security head; John Massaquoi and Samuel Dayluway confirmed police presence at the Plaza yesterday, but could not give details except their bosses.

The head of the security on shift, Mr. Bernard said he was not present when police went to the Plaza, but he heard the news when he returned to base.

The Ebola supplies were said to have been shifted to Rose Garden Plaza after the closure of Island Clinic when the disease had been eradicated from Liberia.

The police source said rather than the materials being returned to the government, the Ebola center caterer chose to shift it to the Plaza where they were on sale, thus prompting the raid following a tip-off.

A staff at the Plaza, Tina Thomas was said to be in charge of selling some of the materials which include bottled water. Efforts to get Tina was unsuccessful as her (0770″””””) number was switched off as at the time of the call.

Police Spokesman Sam Collins claimed he was not in Monrovia and did not know what was happening here when he was contacted for comment on the situation.

There have been longstanding claims of corruption over the management of Ebola supplies here, since international partners began sending in materials and financial support to Liberia that is recorded to have had the highest deaths among the worst-affected West African states.

Liberia was declared Ebola-freed on May 9 this year, and partners are challenging the post-Ebola country to utilize facilities, equipment and supplies left behind after the crisis for the benefit of the public. By Winston W. Parley – Editing by Jonathan Browne and Othello B. Garblah