By Grace Q. Bryant
The Minister of Justice, Musa Dean, has ordered that four police officers be disrobed and dismissed for allegedly violating the rights of Liberian citizens.
The dismissed officers are Amos Williams, Chief of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU), Otis Wallace, Inspector and George Wleh all from the Johnsonville Community and Humphrey Karhn and they will be duly prosecuted.
Commander Williams stands accused of brutalizing a resident of Brewerville. According to victim Jethro McCarthy, on Saturday, March 25, the ERU Commander attacked him at a local entertainment center and severely flogged him with bottles and took away the amount of US$ 10,400 from his vehicle.
Victim McCarthy alleged that the police officer insulted his wife and while he was trying to intervene in the matter, the police officer got angry and hit him on the head with a bottle.
But the officer denied hitting the victim with bottle and taking away money belonging to the victim however, Amos explained that the victim got hit by someone else and not him.
According to the Attorney General, “The use of excessive force, the use of inordinate force will not be tolerated. Today we have ordered the dismissal of four officers.”
The Minister told the press that the Brewerville incident took place by a night club that belongs to Amos Williams along with Otis Williams where it was reported that he allegedly assaulted McCarthy.
“This is unacceptable and what we saw there will not be tolerated,” he said during a press conference at the police headquarters yesterday.
Minister Dean explained that there was an incident in the Johnsonville Community which took place on February 4, where it is reported that a police officer and a military personnel severely beat the victim identified as Esther Youngor.
He reported that Officer Humphrey Karhn also allegedly assaulted one Oretha Tarlue and strake her with gun in her stomach in the Red-light Community.
The Justice Minister therefore ordered the County Attorney of Monsterrado to commerce investigations and to immediately prosecute those found culpable.
“We know at times that members of the public may prove to be challenging but we asked the police to exercise the necessary discipline as anyone caught using force against civilians or excessive inordinate will be disrobed dismissed and remove from the LNP,” he cautioned.