By Grace Q. Bryant
The Liberia National Children’s Representatives Forum formerly Liberian Children’s Parliament has condemned and rejected the Ministry of Gender and the Liberian National Police Children Division Report exonerating the former Director of the SOS Children Village, Augustine Allieu.
The group which is alarming an alleged foul play in the report said that they rejected the report because it is political and marked by conflict of interest and is demanding another DNA test be conducted to verify the information.
The Liberian National Children Representative Forum is a child lead institution that was established by the Government of Liberia in September by the 53rd Legislature aimed at advocating and lobby for the well-being of Liberia children across the country.
On September 3, the Ministry of Information along with the Police denounced and exonerated Mr. Allieu from the alleged raped saga brought against him after two weeks when the DNA test was conducted.
But in resistance to the report in an interview with reporters in Monrovia on September 6, the Speaker of the Forum, Joel U.K Gray, alleged that there was foul play during the conduct of the DNA test.
According to him, based upon that, the Forum does not accept the report because it is marked with fraud, sentiment and missteps which if withheld will indicate that there is no justice for the poor.
“By the Government of Liberia inviting a different health institution (Jamale) to get involved only with the child and her mother (victim) and deny SOS from being a part as the alleged perpetrator, was very wrong and it indicates foul. Today, the LNP is using the non-bailable offense to arrest in our country but since this case, they have changed and releasing said report before making arrest which is totally wrong and indicates conflict of interest,” Mr. Gray noted.
The head of the children’s advocate disclosed that the victim described the interior part of the house of the alleged perpetrator four months before the DNA but the LNP refused to do assessment on grounds that the child was in trauma.
“We are strongly calling upon the international communities, Office of the First Lady and the Vice President along with others for their kind intervention as the Government of Liberia has released a report that is flawed thereby tampering with the information. We are calling for a new swap on this matter and that the Ministry of Information Culture and Tourism verifies the information before releasing same to the public,” the Forum representative concluded.
