Two Associate Justices of The Supreme Court of the Republic of Liberia

Liberia’s final arbiter of justice, the Supreme Court, forwards its Judiciary Commission of Inquiry to Maryland County (Liberia) on March 20, 2013. Currently The Commission is on the gorund in Harper City.

The sole purpose of The Commission is to conclude investigation in the Thomas G. Bedell case of police brutality.

I filed my case in August 2012 with the former Chief Justice of Liberia, His Honor Johnny Lewis. After His Honor Johnny Lewis retired, my case was forwarded to His Honor, Acting Chief Justice of Liberia, Cllr. Francis S. Korkpor, Snr.

As soon as Cllr. Korkpor took over my case, something historic happened.

While I was in his office establishing my case, a phone call came in. It was from Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. She appointed Cllr. Korkpor Acting Chief Justice in my presence.

I am proud to submit that I was able to share that piece of history. For it has never happened to me before nor do I remember anyone telling me such personal experience.

As a result of the new appointment, His Honor Acting Chief Justice Korkpor, Snr. passed my case over to Associate Justice Her Honor Cllr. Jamesetta Howard Wolokollie.

The two Justices of the Commission on the trip to Harper include Associate Justice Cllr. Jamesetta Howard Wolokollie and Associate Justice Cllr. Phillip Z. Banks.

Initially, the investigation was set for The Magisterial Court of Pleebo in Pleebo City at 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, March 21, 2013. But it was moved to Harper, the capital city of Maryland.

On Thursday, March 21 instant, The Hearing was conducted.

This sort of Judicial prominence and exercise has never taken place before in recorded history in Maryland. It is new to all Marylanders.

People who went to witness the Hearing were not allowed in the Court Room besides the witnesses that were summoned by the Commission.

Police guarded the entire perimeter.

I filed my Complaint against Magistrate Wesley Korkor and Associate Magistrate A Boyee Nma of The Pleebo City Magisterial Court for ordering the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) of The Liberian National Police to mercilessly flog me on a “Contempt Charge.”

Due to the severity of the flogging, I was airlifted to Monrovia by UNMIL helicopter for further medical treatment at the J. F. K. Memorial Hospital in Monrovia where I spent three days. Prior to being airlifted to Monrovia, I was admitted at the J. J. Dossen Memorial Hospital in Harper City for medical treatment four days.

My case of police brutality has two phases: the Complaint against the Magistrates now being handled by The Judiciary Commission of Inquiry of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Liberia and that of the police’s own action to be investigated by the Independent Human Rights Commission or through litigation in competent court of jurisdiction.

According to Associate Justice Her Honor Cllr. Jamesetta Howard Wolokollie in an interview in Harper City, Rulings expected in the Case next month (April).

Magistrate Korkor was nowhere to be found. From all indications, he left the county for an unknown destination.

I am Thomas G. Bedell, a social justice advocate, volunteer working and speaking on the ground in Liberia and has become a police brutality victim

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My Conversation with Eric Giko in Liberia (Part I)

Mr. Eric Giko recently visited Liberia and I had a conversation with him on burning issues affecting Maryland of Liberia.

 

The Conversation comes into two parts; here’s how the first part evolved:

 

Mr. Giko is a Marylander residing in the US. He was once an acting president of The National Maryland County Association of Liberia (USA). It indicates he's is a staunch member of the Maryland County community in the United States.

 

I have not personally known Mr. Giko during our day in Liberia and for the time both of us lived in the US. I have never interfaced with him at any time in the US and in Liberia during our formative days. One thing is, I have heard of Mr. Giko as a community oriented person in the US when it comes to Maryland County of Liberia. But have not seen him in person.

 

 

The very first time I interfaced with Mr. Giko was in 2011. By then I had been in Liberia from the US for four consecutive years. This first meeting was in Pleebo City. Pleebo is Mr. Giko's hometown. As for me, my hometown is Harper City. From my hometown to his is less than one hour motor vehicle driving time.

 

When I met with him, he was in a campaign mode; running for the office of Representative for Pleebo/Sodokeh District against the then incumbent Hon. Dr. Bhofal Chambers. Mr. Giko didn't win. Dr. Chambers was re-elected. Currently, Dr. Chambers is the representative of the Pleebo/Sodokeh district.

 

During the campaign, Mr. Giko and I didn't have much time to talk. He was on roller skates. I mean he was busy! And so we had little time introducing each other. But at least, we able to see each other face-to-face for the first time. And to me, that was progress thus far!

 

Later on, I met Mr. Giko in Monrovia. I'm not sure whether it was during or after the same Election in which he aspired for the Representative post in Pleebo/Sodokeh District. But for sure, we met for the second time. This time we met at King Burger Restaurant on Broad Street. Again, the conversation between us was brief. I don't remember why, but it lasted for less than five minutes. So we did not get to knowing each other better. But at least, by then, I was able to have an opportunity to evaluate the young man from his speech. 

 

Recently,Mr. Giko arrived in Liberia on another visit. This time he wanted to see me. Why? Well, he told me that he wanted to compare notes with me. Whatever that meant.

 

According to Mr. Giko, he tried to reach me via my cell phone but up to no avail. Probably because I was too busy running on my daily work schedule or that the network was bad that time. When he informed me how hard he tried to reach me, I believed him. But I couldn't understand why.

 

Maybe there was a problem with my phone or his or the network. I checked my "missed" call record on my cell. For some unknown reasons, I did not discover his "missed" calls. Technologically speaking, I should have discovered the “missed’ calls. And that's because technology has made it easy for us today in the world to track down information. But like they always say in Liberia, "This too, is Liberia."

 

The situation in Liberia is always different. Why? Please don't ask me. I know for sure, the system is always off-and-on. And I think that's why I missed Mr. Giko's calls. All in all, we were able to reconnect when he called back. From there on, things began to fall in place.

 

On March 13, two days prior to my birthday (March 15) Mr. Giko came to see me at my residence deep in the belly of the earth; in the environs of Monrovia. Somewhere deep in Barnersville is where I reside currently. When we met, he was in a hurry again.

 

Is it me or something just not right that each time we meet Mr. Giko is always in a hurry? I wonder. But all the same, we talked for less than five minutes. The time was short but significant: he let out his gut feeling on my work in Liberia. I too responded to the wrong views about me harbored by a handful of Marylanders in the US.

 

Here are some of his concerns:

 

Mr. Giko expressed his concerns on my "Who's Who" in Maryland post. I issued this post in late February, 2013 in my BEDELL SPEAKS & WORKS blog. He was wondering why I did not mention other people (Marylanders) in my post. In his opinion, he believed I left out people who have done a lot in Maryland and for Maryland but residing in the US. For example, he named a few persons that I will not name herein and included himself.

 

At another point, Mr. Giko also wondered what sort of criterion did I use to figure out Who's Who in Maryland. In other words, how did I derive a those names I posted.

 

He kept talking and I was just listening.

 

 

He went to further to state how could my claims of social justice advocacy be "verified." Immediately I twisted in my chair. That means he tormented right there by questioning my revolutionary integrity. I wanted to jump in. But no! I did not. I wanted him to finish. Because he was in a hurry to leave the meeting as he was prepping to leave for the US the next day.

 

When he concluded, my turn came to put forward my defense, if you may call it that way.

 

 

 

I am Thomas G. Bedell working and speaking on the ground in Liberia and has become a police brutality victim

To be continued