By Grace Q. Bryant
The Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) has called on the Ministry of Justice to promptly investigate the matter that resulted in the death of Prince Wlehju and to call into question all the actors involved in the arrest and detention.
Chairperson Dumpster Brown’s decision was based on a follow-up on an incident that occurred at the Salem Police Station in the Airfield areas involving the death of Prince who is believed to be in his 30s.
According to Chairperson Brown, he had ordered his Director of Complaints, Monitoring and Investigation (DCIM) to visit the police station.
After the visit, he was informed by the Director and the team that on Friday, April 12, Prince was taken to the Salem Police Station by Commissioner Mohammed Fahnbulleh, a Commissioner of the INCHR in his official vehicle marked LB-3609.
He further said that Commissioner Fahnbulleh informed the police that Wehju had received from him US$ 200 to repair his vehicle but each time he made an effort to get to the deceased, he would not find him, adding that the late Wlehju was detained on Friday and on Saturday, April 13, the Police Commander informed him that Prince had allegedly committed suicide.
“The Director and team also visited the relatives of Wlehju at their 18th Street residence and were able to talk to some family members. The father of the deceased could not be reached physically but rather through phone calls. The sibling of the deceased, Edward Wleju informed our team that on Friday, April 12, his brother, Prince was apprehended and tortured by one “Shine’, the Commander of a gangster group’ around the 18 Street beach area,” the Chairperson disclosed.
According to Commissioner Brown, the brother said when Shine and his gangster group apprehended his brother, he was told by them that Prince had their client’s money and that the client wanted them to torture his brother until the client came. Additionally, Prince resisted Shine and his group, and accordingly, the client ordered them to beat and torture him.
The brother narrated that the client was then seen in a human rights car and came to pick up Prince but he resisted his brother being carried but was overpowered.
On the same Friday he went to the station to see his brother and he promised that he would get in touch with their family including their elder brother Kelvin Wlehju in Paynesville to pay the money.
He explained that they appealed to the client who was later identified as Commissioner Fahnbulleh from the Human Rights Commission to make a schedule for the payment but Commissioner Fahnbulleh refused to listen to them.
On Saturday, April 13, he explained that when he visited the police station in the morning hours he was surprised to learn from the police that his brother committed suicide.
He said when he visited his brother on Friday, 12 April he did not see any sign of sadness because they had agreed to look for the money; besides, he said on Friday when he last saw his brother in the Police Cell, he didn’t see him wearing clothes so he was surprised when his brother took his shirt to commit suicide as explained by the police.
The deceased brother said none of the family members has seen the body since he allegedly committed suicide.
He said when he reached the police station around 7 to 8 in the morning of 13 April, he did not see his brother hanging up in the cell; while other friends and relatives have given accounts that are similar to what the brother said.
The father, even though was not on the scene due to illness, said he could not believe that his son could kill himself for owing someone money because Prince was a hardworking person.
Chairperson Brown further explained, “All these testimonies were gathered. What has remained consistent is that the Commission’s vehicle was used to convey the deceased to the Police Station and Commissioner Fahnbulleh did not get the police to arrest Prince Wlehju instead others who are considered gangsters were used to carry out the arrest and torture of Prince until he came to get him to the police station.”
According to Commissioner Brown, the story of torture between the periods of the arrest and restraint of the late Wlehju before Commissioner Fahnbulleh with the Commission’s vehicle to take him away is troubling.
The circumstances concerning Prince’s death at the police station where LNP Officers are on routine duty 24 hours is questionable emphasizing, “Besides, there were other detainees in the cell; about five who could not alarm even if the police were far away.”
He added,” Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights provides that human beings are inviolable. Every human being shall be entitled to respect for his life and the integrity of his person. No one may be arbitrarily deprived of this right.”
Additionally, it is provided that “States must take steps both to prevent arbitrary deprivations of life and to conduct prompt, impartial, thorough and transparent investigations into any such deprivations that may have occurred, holding those responsible to account and providing for an effective remedy and reparation for the victim or victims, including, where appropriate, their immediate family and dependents.”
“The Commission holds these principles important no matter who is involved. The responsibility to protect the life of individual held in the custody of a State is higher because at that moment their rights are restraints,” he expressed.
“Given the above the Commission is calling on the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Justice to assure that the bereaved family on every step leading to the investigation of fair justice. Also, the Commission requests the government to conduct an autopsy of the body of Wlehju to ensure justice.
The Commission believes it is a derelict of duty in the circumstance where someone died at the Police station where life is supposed to be protected,” Commissioner Brown noted.
The Commission will partner with civil society to monitor the investigation until a conclusion is made to the case.
