By Bill W. Cooper & S. Siapha Mulbah (Cub reporter)
Several Liberians under the banner “Masses Association of Liberia (MAOL) yesterday embarked on a nation-wide protest in demand of justice for the late Princess Cooper who was discovered mysteriously dead recently at the ELWA Junction.
The protesters, predominantly women, all dressed in black at dawn on Monday gathered across Monrovia and its environs with various placards bearing the inscription “Justice for Princess; Liberia is not at war; we need justice and it’s Princess today; it could be anyone tomorrow.”
The protesters’ action was triggered by a statement from Police Spokesperson, Moses Carter which he disclosed that it was established that there was no foul play in the death of Princess following preliminary investigation by the Liberia National Police.
The aggrieved protesters, assembled at the Fawaz Building Materials and General Goods Store where Princess was discovered dead with blood stains all around her lifeless body, described the assertion by Carter as an affront and disservice to the citizenry of country.
“This is a complete mockery, insult and disservice to us as citizens and women of this country especially so when you have people grieving the death of their relatives,” Abigail Freeman, stated on behalf of her colleagues.
“This police under Patrick Sudue is not credible and independent because there have been several other cases of murders and nothing has been done to ensure that justice prevails, but today, we demand justice,” she said.
According to her, the continuous mysterious deaths, unexplained murders, ritualistic killings and disappearances of Liberians of recent is something that is alarming and worrisome, and as such, it is time for all Liberians to stand up and ensure the eradication of this act.
“The mysterious deaths of Princess Cooper and Melvin Togba should now serve as a wakeup call to us all as Liberians. Our lives are no longer safe in this country anymore. We are now vulnerable and exposed to a ‘what- come -may’ precarious situation than ever before,” she added.
Meanwhile, Abigail has vowed that they will not relinquish their protestation until the Liberian government, through the Liberia National Police and the Ministry of Justice can do proper investigation into the deaths and that the perpetrators face the music for their acts.
“We will remain in the street until the police can do proper investigation and inform the public concerning the circumstances surrounding both Princess and Togba’s deaths. We are tired of hearing no foul play. Enough is enough,” she averred.
Meanwhile, a segment of the aggrieved protesters at the headquarters of the Liberia National Police (LNP) also cautioned the police administration to conduct a most transparent, free and fair investigation and avoid reporting repeatedly that there was “No Foul Play.”
The spokesperson for the group, Lee Barlue, reported that the police investigators were not the only folks that saw the lifeless body of Princess to conclude that there was ‘no foul play.’
He lamented that once an investigation starts in such a manner in Liberia there becomes a likelihood of fake reports filtering in that will undoubtedly lead to injustice for those that justice needs to speak for.
“When investigations begin in this kind of manner and faction, we then retrospect the history of the police and Liberia. When something begins in this faction we know where it’s going to end. So it is a caution that unlike the past lascivious, wanton and unscrupulous killings of Liberians, this case of Princess will be very unrelenting,” Barlue emphasized.
He said further, “We are provoked to continue this struggle even with our lives if the need be; if we had not seen the body; that is when we could have accepted that there was no foul play and we will have an unending and unrelenting protest to talk with people in absolute commanding authority.”
The aggrieved citizens also stressed the need for the police to step up the investigative techniques while describing their delay to get hold of CCTV footage from the crime scheme as a metaphorically and ironical affront.
