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Tension Brews in Gbarnga Demonstrators Taken to Correction Palace Liberian Observer March 12, 2009  Tension
is said to be brewing in Gbarnga following the arrest and subsequent
transfer to Grand Gedeh County of 23 persons who had allegedly been
involved in the Friday, February 27, 2009 violent demonstration in
the city. On Friday February 27, 2009, hundreds of fuming demonstrators took to the streets of Gbarnga in protest of the death of a motorcyclist, one Armah Jeahwulu. He was reportedly killed by some unidentified individuals on the abandoned farm of former president Charles Taylor about two kilometers from Gbarnga. The demonstration paralyzed normal school and business activities in the city. On Saturday March 7, 2009, the 23 persons who had been apprehended by police for their alleged involvement in the demonstration were handcuffed on both hand and foot, and put on a police bus under heavy Emergency Response Unit (ERU) escort to Correction Palace in Grand Gedeh County. It has been gathered by the Daily Observer that some unknown persons in Gbarnga had planned to stage a demonstration in disapproval of the secret transfer of their friends and family members to the Correction Palace. According to lawyers representing the defendants, the action on the part of Government to relocate their clients to Grand Gedeh County when they had not been convicted was a mockery of democracy. “Grand Gedeh is known for convicts. It is a palace for correction. People taken to that place are to undergo some rehabilitation,” the defense counsel emphasized. The defendants are represented by Attorneys James K. Saybay and George W.D.Sagbeh. They said they had filed a habeas corpus in favor of their clients, adding that it was rejected by the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court. “In our own way, we feel disappointed by the manner in which the transfer of the defendants was done,” the defense counsel argued. Attorneys Saybay and Sagbeh informed the Daily Observer that they (defense counsel) were notified by court that 93 persons had been arrested in connection with the demonstration, but they were taken aback by 'the number that had been clandestinely transferred to a prison center meant for convicts'. “The court denied us to file bond for our clients, when all the crimes are bailable before the law,” the defense counsel challenged. When this paper contacted County Attorney Serena Garlawolu on the matter, she said that the Government had reached the decision in order to avoid jail break and also owing to the over-crowdedness of the prison center. Investigation conducted by this paper has established that the Gbarnga Central Prison has a capacity of accommodating 100 convicts and detainees. According to court records, the defendants were charged with aggravated assault, arson and criminal conspiracy in accordance with sections 14.20 and 14.4 of the New Penal Code of Liberia. Court's activities were paralyzed due to a sit-in action by mothers of the defendants. Meanwhile, lawyers and families of the defendants are calling on the Bong County Legislative Caucus to intervene and have those accused of the February 27 violent demonstration tried in Gbarnga. It can be recalled that the February 27, 2009 violent demonstration resulted in the burning of the police depot at the Ganta Parking Station and the tearing down of the Flag of the Republic of Liberia hoisted at the Gbarnga City Court. Those transferred to the Correction Palace, according to investigations, include Momolu Johnson a 44-year-old teacher, Henry Kremue a 13-year-old student, Miller Sarh also 17-year-old student, among others. |
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