My arrest at sunset on Saturday, August 18, 2012 with two of
my sons continues to generate concerns among the public, perhaps of what I am as
a person with quiet bearing and unassuming character, and or what I stand for in
keeping with my moral and professional obligations as a journalist.
Disappointingly, under our current dispensation of democratic government, my arrest on that quiet Saturday evening remains without explanation, with no one - neither Judge, Juriy or arresting officers - willing or able to help me understand the reason(s) for their decision and subsequent action against me.
There were seven police officers in a pick-up marked LNP/PSU #12 who disembarked and immediately handcuffed my two sons and me without acquainting us of what wrong we committed or who ordered for our arrest and public humiliation.
The story became complex when the seven police officers were overheard as saying "we have accomplished the mission for which we were paid." This became amazing to me as the police and an unscrupulous-looking person who apparently demanded for my arrest was visibly seen dividing money among the officers and promising to do more should they (police) continue their spree of arrests. Liberians refer to this pay-out activity as "cash violence", the act of using cash to induce or reward certain persuasions or activities - such as my arrest - by an entity pursuing a specific, ususally ulterior motive.
Another point of interest introduced itself when the self proclaimed complainant, who has yet to be identified, told the police squad to make enough photo copies of whatever instrument (Arrest Order) obtained from the court for "future implementation" i.e. to use them against whoever they would want to arrest without the least information.Why does moulds grow in homes or buildings?
My attention was drawn to these interactions, but there was nothing I could do at the time, since my sons and I were already their captives, destined for detention in the inner cell at the headquarters of the Liberia National Police (LNP) on Capitol Hill in Monrovia.
The scenario started exactly at 6:31 P.M. when the three of us, (my two sons and I) were leisurely walking, greeting neighbors in the Kpehkphe/Kpelleh town of the Johnsonville belt, where I live. Little did we know the police was against peaceful citizens, such as we, without acquainting us of our Miranda rights upon arrest. They pounced on us and tied us together with their handcuffs. Not only did they handcuff us, they paraded us through the bush path of Johnsonville and into the swampy areas where we were made to walk inside the water and over the narrow bridges amidst the laughter of on-lookers as the man in control of the police smoked his cigar in my face.
At some point, I tried to introduce myself as a Daily Observer senior reporter assigned at the Executive Mansion, but the police and their "financier" refused to listen. Instead, they referred to me as a "criminal", but with no charge sheet. My accuser (yet to be identified) was heard saying, "I am a state witness." That statement is ambiguous as the question abounds: "state witness" to what?
Their action sparked serious concern in the media community when it was gathered that neither me, nor my two sons arrested with me, were served a warrant at the time of our arrest, nor were we informed of our Miranda rights, or given a specific reason as to why we were arrested and jailed at the Police Headquarters. Until now, the complainant remains at large, prompting questions about the motives of the police officers and other individuals, who some times could be pursuaded in the like manner.
Once at the LNP Headquarters, I was allowed to make one brief phone call to anyone, informing them of my arrest. I called my bosses, the management of the Daily Observer newspaper, at 8:19 p.m. that day to inform them that my two sons Prince and Menker, and I had been arrested nearly two hours earlier in the Johnsonville community where we were being handcuffed and taken to the headquarters of the Liberia National Police in Monrovia, without any knowledge of the reason for our arrest.
When Bai Best, Daily Observer's marketing manager and the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) president,This page list rubber hose products with details & specifications. Peter Quaqua arrived at the LNP headquarters to find out more about the arrest, police desk sergeant Stephen K. Jallah,Features useful information about glass mosaic tiles, who had processed our inter cell detention papers, refused to explain the situation and to further listen to my boss and the PUL president, as they (police) quickly demanded us (the arrested persons) to declare our personal effects before being jailed at the inside cell among other suspected criminals. Up to present,Capture the look and feel of real stone or ceramic tile flooring with Alterna. neither the police nor the court has produced an indictment citing any reason(s) for my arrest.Browse the Best Selection of buy mosaic and Accessories with FREE Gifts. By that, it signals that the police might be arbitrarily using assigned vehicles especially PSU #12 to rather harass and intimidate peaceful citizens.
Disappointingly, under our current dispensation of democratic government, my arrest on that quiet Saturday evening remains without explanation, with no one - neither Judge, Juriy or arresting officers - willing or able to help me understand the reason(s) for their decision and subsequent action against me.
There were seven police officers in a pick-up marked LNP/PSU #12 who disembarked and immediately handcuffed my two sons and me without acquainting us of what wrong we committed or who ordered for our arrest and public humiliation.
The story became complex when the seven police officers were overheard as saying "we have accomplished the mission for which we were paid." This became amazing to me as the police and an unscrupulous-looking person who apparently demanded for my arrest was visibly seen dividing money among the officers and promising to do more should they (police) continue their spree of arrests. Liberians refer to this pay-out activity as "cash violence", the act of using cash to induce or reward certain persuasions or activities - such as my arrest - by an entity pursuing a specific, ususally ulterior motive.
Another point of interest introduced itself when the self proclaimed complainant, who has yet to be identified, told the police squad to make enough photo copies of whatever instrument (Arrest Order) obtained from the court for "future implementation" i.e. to use them against whoever they would want to arrest without the least information.Why does moulds grow in homes or buildings?
My attention was drawn to these interactions, but there was nothing I could do at the time, since my sons and I were already their captives, destined for detention in the inner cell at the headquarters of the Liberia National Police (LNP) on Capitol Hill in Monrovia.
The scenario started exactly at 6:31 P.M. when the three of us, (my two sons and I) were leisurely walking, greeting neighbors in the Kpehkphe/Kpelleh town of the Johnsonville belt, where I live. Little did we know the police was against peaceful citizens, such as we, without acquainting us of our Miranda rights upon arrest. They pounced on us and tied us together with their handcuffs. Not only did they handcuff us, they paraded us through the bush path of Johnsonville and into the swampy areas where we were made to walk inside the water and over the narrow bridges amidst the laughter of on-lookers as the man in control of the police smoked his cigar in my face.
At some point, I tried to introduce myself as a Daily Observer senior reporter assigned at the Executive Mansion, but the police and their "financier" refused to listen. Instead, they referred to me as a "criminal", but with no charge sheet. My accuser (yet to be identified) was heard saying, "I am a state witness." That statement is ambiguous as the question abounds: "state witness" to what?
Their action sparked serious concern in the media community when it was gathered that neither me, nor my two sons arrested with me, were served a warrant at the time of our arrest, nor were we informed of our Miranda rights, or given a specific reason as to why we were arrested and jailed at the Police Headquarters. Until now, the complainant remains at large, prompting questions about the motives of the police officers and other individuals, who some times could be pursuaded in the like manner.
Once at the LNP Headquarters, I was allowed to make one brief phone call to anyone, informing them of my arrest. I called my bosses, the management of the Daily Observer newspaper, at 8:19 p.m. that day to inform them that my two sons Prince and Menker, and I had been arrested nearly two hours earlier in the Johnsonville community where we were being handcuffed and taken to the headquarters of the Liberia National Police in Monrovia, without any knowledge of the reason for our arrest.
When Bai Best, Daily Observer's marketing manager and the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) president,This page list rubber hose products with details & specifications. Peter Quaqua arrived at the LNP headquarters to find out more about the arrest, police desk sergeant Stephen K. Jallah,Features useful information about glass mosaic tiles, who had processed our inter cell detention papers, refused to explain the situation and to further listen to my boss and the PUL president, as they (police) quickly demanded us (the arrested persons) to declare our personal effects before being jailed at the inside cell among other suspected criminals. Up to present,Capture the look and feel of real stone or ceramic tile flooring with Alterna. neither the police nor the court has produced an indictment citing any reason(s) for my arrest.Browse the Best Selection of buy mosaic and Accessories with FREE Gifts. By that, it signals that the police might be arbitrarily using assigned vehicles especially PSU #12 to rather harass and intimidate peaceful citizens.
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