– As Police Gives Update…
By Jacqueline Lucia Dennis
The Liberia National Police (LNP) has launched ‘Operations 2022 December Festive Season Green Light’ for this festival.
Speaking in Monrovia, the head of communications at the Liberia National Police, Moses Carter on Wednesday November 7, 2022 said ‘Operations Green Light Festive Season’ is an operation that “will have our citizen going about their number businesses in peace and without being intimidated, as part of this operations we will have our officers patrolling in various community”.
The Police spokesman, Mr. Carter among other things stated that the LNP will be seen in various communities with arms or without arms so citizens should not panic, they are there to make sure that citizens can go to bed sound and transact their business peacefully.
He said this festive season is a season that is considered very serious for Liberians and foreign residents, this is the season that criminals will look for opportunities at the expanse to intimidate peaceful citizens.
According to him, the LNP will insure that they carry out operations that will lead to citizens and residents to celebrate the festive season in peace and not in pieces.
In another development, Police spokesperson Carter disclosed that due to the alleged killing of an officer of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) James M. Gargu, the Liberia National Police has arrested six (6) persons in connection to the death of patrolman Gargu. Those arrested include Cyrus Bestman, Prince Harris, Samuel Thomas, alias Jalloh Abba Bloebargar, and George Swee, and they were charged for murder and forwarded to court in Grand Bassa County, indicating it is a violation of chapter 14.1 of the revised penal code of the republic of Liberia.
Mr. Carter stated “On November 15, 2022 arrested defendants allegedly mobbed officer Gargu that resulted to his death, when he and two community policing officers had gone to effect an arrest upon a complaint filed by Jonathan A. Zeon, that that a group of men were allegedly smoking narcotic drugs on his porch. Upon that the officers’ arrival to the scene, the alleged suspects became very violent which lead to officer James Gargu discharging his firearm in the air”.
Police spoke man Mr. Carter said that during police investigation conducted, it also established that on November 14, 2022, Jerome Karr a resident of Grand Bassa called the police and reported that his life had been threatened by some of the alleged suspects. He noted that none of the suspects who were on Mr. Jerome Karr porch were occupants or residents of the house.
He pointed out that officer Gargu and the alleged suspects’ had verbal exchanges between them, that emanated over the discharging of his assigned police gun and subsequently seizing the narcotic substances that were in possession of the suspects. “That after escaping the scene, the suspects regrouped themselves with machetes, knives and other harmful objects, thus overwhelming the police officer and others with him and vehemently demanded the return of the narcotic substances which were seized,” the LNP spokesperson disclosed.
Mr. Carter said due to the tension by the suspects, sensing their vulnerabilities, Patrolman James M. Gargu succumbed to the suspects’ demands, and returned their seized narcotic substance to them. But unfortunately, Carter lamented that after receiving their narcotic substance, the suspects intensified their violence by throwing stones at patrolman James M. Gargu and others which prompted the officer Gargu and his colleagues escaping in different directions.
He said officer Gargu was purposely chased by the suspects who encountered him around the ArcelorMittal train track between kilometer 4 & 5 where he was brutally attacked by them. “Officer Gargu was murdered, based upon injuries inflicted on him by the suspects, while performing his statutory responsibility in grand Bassa County,” the LNP Spokesperson disclosed.
The assigned police arm of the late James M. Gargu was retrieved after a thorough search in the proximities of the crime scene, Mr. Carter told journalists.
Meanwhile, the Liberia National Police has also arrested four persons Francis Marwolo, 26 years; Henry Jallah, 22 years; Fofee Arvee, 30 years; and Alvin Some, 32 years; in connection to a violent incident that occurred on the Capitol bye-pass during the evening hours of December 5, 2022 when some groups of individuals had gone at the radio station in reaction to Mr. Lewis Brown appearance in relation to a planned ‘Peaceful Rally’ slated for December 17, 2022.
During police preliminary probe, it was established the incident began when some individuals gathered at the Voice of Liberia radio station in annoyance of Mr. Brown appearance on the talk show, while another group of individuals arrived on the scene in support of Mr. Lewis Brown, which sparked an altercation between the two groups.
Mr. Carter said, during the process of dispersing the crowd, the police marked vehicle that took the officers to the scene came under serious attack thereby damaging the left windshield of the vehicle by some individuals.
Also in another development, Mr. Carter disclosed during an update session with journalists that the Nimba County Police Detachment has launched an immediate investigation surrounding the circumstances that led to the death of a lady identified as Yei Gargbay 35 a resident of barrack community in Sanniquellie, Nimba County.
According to police initial investigation, suspect Ernest Gbartu, 33 years; allegedly chopped the victim multiple times on her head and other parts of her body with a cutlass which resulted to her demise and absconded the scene but was later arrested through the frantic efforts of the Liberia National Police.
He was charged with murder and has since been sent to Court in violation of Chapter 14, section 14.1 of the penal code of the Republic of Liberia.
Rape Case
Concluding the press briefing, the LNP Spokesman, Moses Carter disclosed that Police in Grand Gedeh County has arrested and is investigating a man identified as Prince Gelekar for alleged rape in Bartejan, Grand Gedeh County.
On Friday, December 2, 2022 at 12:20 PM, complainant Rebecca Tamba, 34, a resident of Bartejan community, Gold Camp reported the incident to the Women and Children Protection Section of the LNP in the county.
