Monday, 6 August 2012

Memorandum Against Police Brutality


To:       Hon. J. Hodo Manston/Cofounder/Acting Chair/Marylanders in Monrovia
Allen N. Yancy, III/Cofounder/Chair/Legal Funds Committee/Marylanders in Monrovia
Dr. Togaba Nah Tipoteh/PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE/Republic of Liberia-2011
Mohammed Nassar/President/FLY
Hon. T. Nma-Mle Collins/President/Kudemoweh Development Assn.
Hon. Landry Wah Bedell/Elder/S. K. Bedell Family Reunion in Liberia
            Louise Thomas Mapleh/Prominent Marylander
FROM: Thomas G. Bedell/Victim of Police Brutality
DATE:   August 2, 2012
SUBJ:  INFORMATION ON POLICE BRUTALITY & REQUEST FOR HELP

Dear Honorable Lady & Gentlemen: I trust you are enjoying the grace of God and doing well with your varied responsibilities.

This letter officially informs you of my misfortune in Pleebo, Maryland County, resulting from police brutality. Thus, I seek your financial assistance to support litigation. I intend to litigate in the Liberian court of competent jurisdiction. If I am displeased with the way my case is handled, I shall go forth to an ECOWAS court of competent jurisdiction. This is all about justice; no more, no less!

Be advised on June 29, 2012, The Liberia National Police Emergency Response Unit (ERU) physically & psychologically me in the city of Pleebo (commercial capital) Maryland County. It brutally assaulted and violated my physical person. It treated me violently as though I were a runaway slave in a pool of my own blood. I was verbally abused, teased, mocked and jailed for 24 hours in Pleebo on the order s of Magistrate Wesley Korkor, supposedly on grounds of a “Contempt of Court” that was issued by another Magistrate by the name of Hon. A. Boyee Nma.

Due to the physical, medical and psychological damage inflicted upon me as a consequence of the police violent flogging in Maryland at the hands of the ERU, internal bleeding is of deep concern to me. If internal bleeding becomes realistic in my case, without proper medical attention, chances are my life could be terminated. To manage this fear, on July 4th I was airlifted by UNMIL to Monrovia as a referral to The J.F.K. Memorial Hospital for further examination and treatment. I remained at the J.F.K. Hospital for two days (July 5-7). On July 7, I was discharged pending a Second medical Opinion. According to J.F.K, internal bleeding is not currently visible. This Medical Report is good news for me to put to rest my fears. But since Science is not EXACT, the fear of internal bleeding and other complications still persist.

The following points summarized my request for ACTION:

1.      Litigation against the Liberia National Police Department in Liberia or in ECOWAS court of   
         competent jurisdiction
2.      Request a judicial commission of enquiry of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Liberia to
         investigate Magistrates Korkor and Nma of the Pleebo Magisterial Court unethical behaviors bordered      
        on undermining the Integrity of the Court & abuse of law-abiding and innocent citizens/litigants’ rights 
        through indecent and unlawful acts particularly in my case. Understandably, there are other cases of 
        abuse of power against common citizens who suffered severe injustice but are voiceless and unable to  
        cry out loud as I do now. In the event both Magistrates are found liable, they should be dismissed, 
        prosecuted and compelled to make good of their wrongs against me and poor defenseless citizens and
        residents.
3.     Compel the Ministry of Justice to immediately withdraw the entire ERU from Maryland County and 
        account for its past activities.
4.     An independent commission of enquiry be set up to investigate the deaths of Gartor Doe of Pleebo and 
        Harrison Geeply of Harper from ERU police brutality.
5.     Investigate rape cases that have been suppressed by the Police Department with specific emphasis on 
        the cases of an 18-year old pregnant girl raped by an Indian National who walked free and the 11-year 
        old kid that was raped four different times on four different occasions by a 40-year old man on the A. 
        Dash Wilson Farm, Old Sodokeh, Pleebo.
6.    Assist the 4th Judicial Circuit Court with a psychiatrist to prosecute the rape case involving a Rocktown 
       High Priest's wife who was raped by an Ivorian refugee.
7.    Provide permanent lodging for County Attorney and Public Defender in Maryland in order to provide 
       and enhance justice through the courts.
8.    Receive Reparation from the Police Department.

REPARATION

The term “reparation” may be defined as a repairing or keeping in repair, the act of making amends or giving satisfaction for wrongdoing, and/or the payment of damages - compensation in money of materials payable by perpetrators. it is a range of different responses to wrongdoing including Restitution, Rehabilitation, Satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition. Reparations are about repairing, making amends and compensation including coordinated set of reparative measures with massive coverage.
Against this background and consideration, what exactly do I want, one may ask, as a victim of police brutality.

1. Full disclosure of facts on all deaths by ERU including and not limited to the Gartor Doe of Pleebo and Harrison Geeply of Harper City. Full disclosure on all physical & psychological tortures, flogging... of and not limited to the Lord Mayor of the city of Pleebo, Hon. Anthony Harmon, student Wah Kla Neufville, Jnr., Anthony Wesley of Fishtown, Harper city, and yours truly, Thomas G. Bedell of Harper and the theft of the personal property and monies of Dumu Hne of Pleebo. Each and every one of these mentioned sad events must be accounted for and al others from the date and time of the arrival of the arrival and deployment of ERU on the soil of Maryland coupled with the purpose for which ERU has been deployed in the County.

2. Official apologies from either the Ministry of Justice or Government of Liberia,

3. Acknowledgment of wrongdoing by the Police Department and/or the Government of Liberia,

4. Judicial or administrative proceedings to remove all perpetrators from position of power,

5. Public memorials for those who died as a result of police brutality,

6. Forms of education,

7. Return of victim's belongings and restoration of their economic condition (i.e. business, legal rights and employment),

8. Monetary compensation,

9. Rehabilitative services to victims (e.g. medical care, psychological care),

10. Establish a PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION to advise current and future presidents against police brutality.

11. Bring an immediate halt to police brutality,

12. Legislators to pass an ACT to achieve Restitution for all victims and families of police brutality

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