The Liberia National Police (LNP) has issued Mr. Eric Willise Wowoh a “confirmation clearance” clearing him of all allegations of rape that was said to have taken place within the Alexandria A. Andrews Academy School in Brooklyn Community, Gbarnga, Bong County and the Heart of Grace School located in Jacob’s Town, Rehab City View Community, Lower Johnsonville, Montserrado County.
Even though the alleged sexual misconduct was said to have been committed by Wowoh, interestingly, it was him who had reported it to the LNP for investigation, according to the police.
Wowoh is the founder/executive director of the Change Agent Network/Opportunity Network Liberia (CAN/ONLIB), which runs Triple ‘A’— Alexander A. Andrews; an academic institutions of CAN/ONLIB
The ED explained that, “While he was in the United States of America in August 2021, he received a disturbing report from Hope Novak, an American citizen, about a sexual exploitation in the Alexander A. Andrews Academy located in Brooklyn Community, Gbarnga, Bong, the school he established in 2021 under his organization, Change Agent Network/Opportunity Network Liberia (CAN/ONLIB).”
According to him, the police report revealed that, Daniel K Dennis, president, Student Against Corruption (SAC), informed the Women and Children’s Protection Section of the Liberian Police in August 2021 that his organization, SAC, received information from Mathaline Howelley, Leetor Sibley, Justina Dunbar and Melessa Brisbane, student of the Triple ‘A’ Academy about sexual abuse of females in the school.
Predicated upon the complaint, a team of officers from the Women and children’s Protection Section of the Crime Services Department, Liberia National Police, was constituted to probe the merit(s) of the complaint.
The LNP investigation found out that some individuals linked to the allegation included Daniel K. Dennis, Justina Dunbar, Marthaline Hawelley, Abel Dennis, Stephen S. Kendema, Bill G. O. Tarr, Shermaiah Dolo, S. Rufus Garga, Issac P. Bettie, Pastor Koffi Mensah, McGill G. Kowula, Danny K. Wreh, Jr., Korto Tarnue, Issac Naimah, Angie Suomie, Rita Suomie and Luch Suomie.
Upon receiving information about the allegation of sexual exploitation and abuse, Mr. Eric Wowoh immediate investigation also found out that one of the expelled students of the Alexander A. Andrews Academy (Marthaline Howelley) who Daniel Dennis alleged to have been one of the victims of the sexual exploitation and abuse maintained that at no time she was ever involved with any teachers.
The Police further stated that Ms. Dunbar alleged that Bettie, who is the Chemistry teacher had made sexual advances towards her but she refused and was threatened by him.
The police also found out during their investigation that Ms. Dunbar and Principle, Abel Dennis has had sexual intercourse one time when she was in the 11th grade. They, however, said that student Dunbar, who is now a 12th grader is an adult and is into a consensual sexual relationship with Daniel Dennis.
The SAC group, which had reported the matter with the LNP’s Women and Children’s Protection Section in Gbarnga, also alleged that to cover up the allegation, some students, who had been expelled had to be reconsidered to find a compromise against the teachers and administration.
But the police described that assertion as false and that it was based on the intervention of Bong County Education Board that the expelled students were considered to write their National Exams, which was being administered to students within the West African sub-region at the time.
The LNP further stated that Hope Novak, who is an American and who Wowoh said he had received the report of sexual exploitation from while he was in the USA in August 2021, had sent US$80 to one Favor L. Saybekollie as transportation to travel to Monrovia and report the rape allegation against Wowoh.
The investigation signed by Charles B. Blake, Police Commissioner for CSD, CID and Interpol Affairs has resolved to recommend that Abel Dennis, Koffi Mensah and Isaac Bettie of Alexander A. Andrews Academy be turned over to the Ministry of Education through the Bong County Education Board for administrative action for their sexual contact and sexual advances respectively towards student Justina Dunbar and that Hope Novak be held liable for tempering with witnesses and information in proceedings.