By Patrick N. Tokpah
(contributor Bong)
The Liberia National Police Bong County detachment has arrested, charged, and sent to court student Emmanuel N. Slabert for allegedly raising false public alarms of being kidnapped in the county.
Speaking in an interview with reporters at the LNP Headquarters in Gbarnga, Bong County on February 8, 2023, the Crime Services Division Commander John Kellenso Flomo said suspect Slabert of the government-run John Flomo Bakalu High School allegedly send a text message that he was kidnapped by an unknown person.
According to Commander Flomo, after receiving the information, they launched a massive search in the county only to later find student Slabert.
Commander Flomo quoted Slabert’s text message he (Emmanuel) sent his brother saying “Oh, I’m sorry he’s gone please let your parents know about this. I will break his SMS sim card from now on.”
Commander Flomo said Slabert’s text message brought too much public outcry, especially at the John FLomo Bakalu School campus where some community members were pointing accusing fingers at the school’s principal of being linked in the crime.
The Bong County Crime Services Division Commander revealed that during Police investigation, he (Emmanuel) admitted to committing the crime, but said it was intended to test the love his parents have for him.
Suspect Slabert told journalists that he left campus on Wednesday, February 7, 2023, after doing his test and went to Peesia Town, Lower Bong County to install DSTV as a technician when his brother called him that their mother was in search of him but he explained that after the communication he (Emmanuel) decided to send a said text message to his brother.
According to Emmanuel, after sending the text message, his phone ran out of network and he was unable to inform his brother back that he was just joking.
Moreover, suspect Slabert is appealing to the Liberia National Police to have mercy on him, on grounds that he was just joking with his brother.
The John Flomo Bakalu High School Principal Josiah B. Kollie lauded the Liberia National Police Bong County Detachment for the arrest of Student Slabert on grounds that there was a lot of misinformation spread and that his character was at stake.
According to Principal Kollie, because of the misinformation, normal academic activity for the afternoon students of the school was disrupted on February 7, 2023 noting, “I thank God that the Police were able to arrest the living body of Emmanuel.”
The John FLomo Bakalu High School senior student was charged with False Public Alarm under section 17.4 of the New Panel Law of Liberia and he’s currently awaiting court trial.
Section 17.4. titled ‘False public alarm’, says “A person is guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor if he initiates or circulates a report or warning of an impending bombing or other crime or catastrophe, knowing that the report or warning is false or baseless and that it is likely to cause evacuation of a building, place of assembly, or facility of public transport, or to cause public inconvenience or alarm.”
