The Foundation for International Dignity (FIND), headed by its Executive Director, Aaron G.V. Juakollie, said it is deeply concerned over the reported deaths of inmates at the Gbarnga Central Prison.
Inmate Bakaline Kanneh, who was charged with alleged rape, died in March 2023. Also on July 29, 2023, Inmate Moses Dennis, allegedly charged with Statutory Rape, died, and Inmate Benson Kula, also charged for Statutory Rape, died on August 10, 2023.
After those reported deaths, four inmates are currently affected with serious illnesses, ranging from mental illness and Hepatitis B virus.
According to the assigned nurse at the facility, the Gbarnga Central prison is currently hosting 296 inmates, whereas the facility was built to host only 130 inmates. Among those detained are 212 adult males, six adult females, and two Juvenile male detainees.
FIND said the conduction of inmates at the Gbarnga Central Prison is crappy and seriously needs urgent attention. According to them, the fundamental human rights of the inmates have been abused and violated by the government of Liberia, in line with the Criminal procedure Law chapter 13.1.1 and Chapter 34.17, as well as the 1986 Liberia Constitution Article 11, and Articles 21 e.
FIND is also concerned about the long delay in adjudicating cases involving former and present county officials of Bong County, as well as other individuals.
It can be recalled that on June 5, 2019, the 9th Judicial Circuit Court formally indicted the following: Liberia China United Investment Group (LCUIG), represented by its CEO, Lian Ahi; George S. Mulbah, former Representative of District #3 Bong County; Tokpa J. Mulbah, former Representative of District #1 Bong County; Edward W. Karfiah, Representative of District #5, Bong County; Rennie B. Jackson, former Superintendent, Bong County; and Melvin Cole, Representative of District #3.
Others are Thomas K. Cisco, Project Specialist, Ministry of Internal Affairs; Dr. John Flomo, former President, Bong County Technical Collage; Kenneth Yao Awadjie, Former Assistant Chief Architect, Ministry of Public Works; Marcus Berrian, Project Engineer, Project Implementation Unit, Bong County.
These defendants allegedly committed the following crimes; Violation of PPCC Act, Theft of property; Fraud on the internal Revenue of Liberia, Criminal Conspiracy, and Criminal Facilitation. But nearly four years since the indictment was issued, the cases have not been placed on the court docket.
FIND is concerned about the delay and wants the defendants and Ministry of Justice and the Court to be reminded of Chapter 4 of the Criminal Procedure Law of Liberia that speaks of “Time of Limitation “ 4.2 Non Capital offense. “Except as provided in section 4.3 and section 4.4 of this chapter, prosecution for any non-capital offense shall be subject to the following periods of limitation:
(a) A prosecution for a felony must be commenced within five years after it is committed.
(b) A prosecution for a misdemeanor must be commenced within three years after it is committed.
(c) A prosecution for any other offense, violation, or infraction, must be commenced within one year after it is committed, unless the statute creating the offense, violation, or infraction, otherwise provides.
However, up to press time, these perpetrators have not been brought under the jurisdiction of court because they have been shielded by some government officials from Ministry of Justice, due to “clandestine maneuvering by the Former Solicitor General, Republic of Liberia, Cyrennius Cephus.
Meanwhile, FIND is calling on the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Justice, and Judiciary, through the public defense, to handle the conduction of the inmates at the Gbarnga Central Prison, and to bring perpetrators of the Bong County Technical College indictment to Justice and give them a due process.
Also, FIND is calling on all the protection actors in Bong County and Liberia, especially the Civil Society organizations CSOs, the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), and the International Partners Office of High Commission Human Rights (OHCHR), to closely monitor and follow up the situations at the Gbarnga Central Prison and the 9th Judicial Circuit Court, so that the rights of inmates would be respected and justice can be dispensed without fear nor favor.
”We hope the Government of Liberia will take our concerns seriously”
