Taylor’s son, Takun – J arrested

The son of imprisoned ex-president Charles Ghankay Taylor Mr. Phillip Taylor and a Liberian musical icon and opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC) representative candidate Jonathan Koffa (alais Takun – J) were arrested in police raid on Tuesday, 26 September in Monrovia.

Our reporter, who witnessed the showdown of the ANC candidate’s arrest, says Mr. Koffa was closely guided by uniformed and plain clothes personnel of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) who displayed a bag that they alleged contained illegal substance.
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Though official police authorities did not speak to the media on the arrests of the two men and several others held in custody on Tuesday, well – placed police officials hinted the NewDawn that the arrests were made out of mistaken identity because Koffa and Taylor were allegedly at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The NewDawn is informed that former Sinoe County Senator Mabutu Nyenpan who was a close friend of the estranged wife of imprisoned ex-president Taylor while in the Senate, signed for Sen. Taylor’s son, Mr. Phillip Taylor on Tuesday and took him out of police custody from the Liberia National Police Headquarters.

Candidate Takun – J who is among several others contesting against opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) incumbent representative Acarus Gray for the district seat is alleged to have been arrested by police out of mistaken identity and later released.

A NewDawn reporter who visited the Police headquarters where Mr. Taylor and the ANC Montserrado County District #8 representative candidate Koffa were being held, says Taylor and Koffa (Takun – J) were in police custody along with several other arrested suspects, but the musician was later taken from rest by police.

Our source says police did not intend to arrest Takun – J, adding that Philip was also arrested when he visited his cousin to an unknown location.

After releasing Mr. Koffa, our staff saw police escorting him back to his base on Carey Street in Monrovia. His arrest comes about four days after strongly criticizing and accusing his rival, incumbent District #8 Rep. Acarus Gray of allegedly failing to provide basic social services to the people he claims to represent.

Eyewitnesses interviewed by this paper alleged that the security officers allegedly did not use a search warrant from a court that empowers them to enter the private home and business establishment of Mr. Koffa.

Mr. Koffa owns and operates a mini bar which is also used as nightclub on Carey Street. Dozens of his supporters who were on the scene of his arrest on Tuesday attempted intervening to prevent the security from taking their candidate away.

But they were blocked by other officers, who quickly rushed the ANC candidate into a parked security vehicle and led him to the Liberia National Police Headquarters on Capitol Bye – pass.

Mr. Jonathan Koffa has been apprehended on many occasions by government based on his anti-corruption messages contained in some of his musics, such as “the government is corrupt and the government fooled us” among others.–Edited by Winston W. Parley