Wants Family Bring Pathologist for 2nd Autopsy to Be Done
IPNEWS – Monrovia – The Liberian Government, through the Ministry of Justice, has rejected the request from the family of the late Princess Cooper for her remains to be turned over to them so that they can bury them.
According to a May 30th press release from the Ministry of Information, the Justice Ministry repeated its position for Princess Cooper’s family to designate another pathologist with the requisite credentials and qualification from anywhere in the world to conduct the agreed second autopsy.
This request, according to the press release, stems from the latest position of Dr. Servillano Ritualo, the practitioner from the Philippines who was initially chosen by the family to carry out the second autopsy, that he is unable to travel to Liberia to perform the process as agreed between the Liberian Government and the late Ms. Cooper’s family, along with their lawyer Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe and the former President of the Liberia Council of Churches, Bishop Kortu Brown.
Dr. Ritualo had told Justice Minister Frank Musah Dean in an email, that he was displeased with the government’s request for a medical license that qualifies him as a pathologist. According to him, he had previously practiced in Liberia, specifically during the late Angel Tokpa murder case. Another reason why Dr. Ritualo said he can’t come to Liberia is because there is an outbreak of Monkey Pox in the subregion.
Because the late Ms. Cooper’s family had hoped on him coming, when it emerged that he couldn’t make it, the family of the late Princess Cooper, held a press conference, among other things requested for the remains of their daughter so they could bury them.
However, the Justice Ministry clarified that its request for a licensed pathologist is in keeping with the requirements of the Liberia Medical and Dental Council, for the grant of temporary licensure to perform such medical service in the country.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Dean has called on the Liberia Council of Churches, civil society organizations and other concerned institutions and individuals, to work with Ms. Cooper’s family to designate a new pathologist as the government remains fully committed to the conduct of a second autopsy to allay all allegations and claims regarding the cause of Princess’ death; and bring proper closure to this matter.
On March 24, 2022, the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Justice, requested Pathologists Dr. Benedict B. Kolee and Dr. Zoebon B. Kparteh to conduct an autopsy on the body of Princess. The autopsy was conducted at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center on March 31, 2022.
After days of waiting for the autopsy report from the doctors and government, the pathologists announcing on Monday, April 18, 2022, that Ms. Cooper died of natural causes.
They named the causes as “Hemorrhagic shock.
This report was rejected by the public and the family of the deceased, prompting President George Weah to order a second autopsy and that the family should choose their own pathologist.
