By Grace Q. Bryant
The Liberia National Police has charged and sent to jail Pastor Nelson Paye, a resident of Boys Town Community in lower Margibi County for the crimes of Trafficking in Person, Theft of Property and Forgery.
The police charge sheet disclosed that the defendant’s action is in violation of section 2(A) and (B) and 15.51 of the New Trafficking in Person Act as well as the Penal Law of Liberia due to his involvement in recruiting Linda Fasu Kerkula to Oman where she is currently in a state of slavery.
According to the police charge sheet, on April 6, defendant Paye was arrested, acquainted with his constitutional rights, investigated and duly charged with the commission of the crimes.
The police charge sheet further indicated that the defendant and one Promise Nana Bangura (accomplice) recruited and transported victim Kerkula to Oman in Asia where she is currently been ill-treated and allegedly raped while US$350 were extorted from Yamah and Miatta, though they did not go to Oman.
The police investigative finding also noted that when victim Kerkula arrived in Oman, her passport was taken from her on grounds that if she had refused to work due to intense condition of work, she will have to be asked to go back home but her sponsor in Oman is requesting that she pays back the amount of US$ 2,800 before she is released to go back to Liberia.
The Police investigation revealed further that defendant Paye, along with Promise recruited and transported Kerkula to Oman on February 12 and they were each given US$350 as processing fees by all of their victims which totaled US$1,100.
The police charge sheet noted that complainant Emmanuel Kerkula told them that his wife Linda was informed about the traveling and job program in Oman by her friend Promise’s mother and the victim confirmed said information from Promise herself in Oman.
The complainant further told the Police investigators that his wife was encouraged to prepare her documents and referred her to defendant Paye to facilitate her process for which she did and also paid the sum of US$ 350 to the pastor as agent fees.
“Upon the completion and submission of my wife’s document, she departed Liberia for Oman on February 12, through Ivory Coast and Ghana. Upon her arrival in Oman, she was received by another agent. My wife has been ill-treated and raped by her sponsor in Oman, Asia,” he alleged during police investigation.
Excerpts of Co-complainant Mietta G. Browne and Yamah P. Lawubah to the police investigators is that they got to know about the program through Emmanuel Kerkula who took them to Pastor Paye and they paid the amount of US$ 350 each as agent fees to him.
“A visa and other relevant traveling documents were sent to us from Promise and on March 31, while at Pastor Paye’s house preparing to be taken to the RIA, the wife of Emmanuel called her sister in-law Bennitha and told her in tears not to come to Oman because she was being ill-treated by her sponsor. After listening to the conversation, I called my husband to pick me up and we left and since then I have not made any contact with Pastor Paye,” she informed police investigators.
Excerpts from the statement of defendant Paye is that he told the police investigators that Emmanuel Kerkula’s wife Linda was recommended to him by Promise who asked him to help process her traveling documents.
He further admitted that he received the amount of US$ 350 as agent fees from Linda and sent it to Promise and further explained that Promise then asked him to process Yamah and Miatta’s documents and he received from them the amount of US$ 700 and he did likewise.
