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Liberia: Fleeing Senator Begs for Intervention
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The NEWS (Monrovia)
4 July 2008
Posted to the web 4 July 2008
Benjamin B. Sworh
Monrovia
Grand Bassa County Senator Nathaniel Innis reportedly eluding prosecution at the Monrovia Magisterial Court for allegedly assaulting a lady has appealed to his colleagues to intervene in order to thwart his arrest and subsequent prosecution.
A forthnight ago, Senator Innis was reported to have beaten and inflicted bruises on a 26-year-old Kou Flomo for allegedly disturbing the vicinity where the senator resides in Gardnersville, outside Monrovia.
In the wake of mounting pressure from rights advocates and women groups for legal recourse, senator Innis said his action was the 'work of Satan and the devil' for which he extended an apology to the victim.
Notwithstanding, a group of women organization under the aegis of the Women in Peace Building Network (WIPNET) filed a lawsuit against him at the Monrovia Magisterial Court last week calling for his arrest and prosecution on charges of Aggravated Assault.
Although a bailiff of the court has up to press time not been able to identify and serve the warrant on the Grand Bassa Senator, but our judicial sources said Senator Innis, accompanied by some friends and relatives, visited the office of Montserrado County Attorney Samuel Jacobs on Monday where they had a close door meeting for nearly an hour.
According to report, the senator is said to have left through the back entrance adjacent the National Police Headquarters from the ground of the Temple of Justice.
However, last Thursday the Deputy Secretary of the Liberian Senate, Genevie Massaquoi read and presented a letter to plenary from the Grand Bassa Lawmaker, urging his colleagues to intervene on his behalf at the Monrovia Magisterial Court to avert his arrest and prosecution.
Senator Innis' communication indicated that an arrest warrant was out for him, and as such, he was requesting his colleagues to do everything possible to protect him from arrest.
Following the reading of the communication, some of his colleagues argued that there was no need for them to discuss their intervention because he has not been served the arrest warrant.
Senator Isaac Johnson of River Gee noted that they could not discuss such matter when he has not been arrested, because according to him, it would be premature for them to dwell such matter at this time.
For his part, Grand Bassa County Senior Senator Gbenzongar Findley told his colleagues that it was shocking for an arrest warrant to be issued against Senator Innis.
He argued that Senators Musu Sumo Freeman and Hannah Brent of Montserrado County were once manhandled by a police officer and armed robbed respectively without any redress.
"We are being targeted and provoked everyday in the streets. Even in the traffic, people abuse us without any remorse of conscience. It's worrisome," he said.
The Grand Kru County Lawmaker reminded his colleagues that no matter whether the issue is discussed now or in the future, Innis would still have to appear in court.
Recently, the mother of the victim, Madam Weyatta Flomo told newsmen that her daughter was assaulted by the senator after the girl sprinkled water she brought from her church yard on grounds that a wild cat cried throughout the previous night under her window.
Madam Flomo further explained that the senator lives in the same neighborhood and that the victim is his niece. She said her daughter was sprinkling the water at the same time evoking the blood of Jesus which annoyed the senator to come from his house and complained to another neighbor at the girl was disturbing.
The victim's mother pointed out that it was at that time when the neighbor told him that she was also disturbed the "cry" of the cat that night.
Not going down well with what the neighbor told him, Madam Flomo said, it was when senator Innis rushed on her daughter and began beating her, adding when the Senator was beating my daughter I attempted pulling him from my daughter and during that time his shirt was ripped and he later went at the Zone Four police depot and brought police officers who arrested them.
Madam Flomo noted that the senator misused his position to beat her daughter.
Interestingly, the Acting magistrate at the Monrovia City Court Wondah Sondah told reporter that he is not aware of any arrest order for the senator. He said before any arrest order goes out he has to be aware.
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Senator Innis has since denied brutalizing the lady, saying that "this minor problem was humbly resolved at family level long since but those he claim as his political enemies are bent on doing everything possible to malign his hard earned character he has built over the years.
"Hard earned Character". It appears that this phrase is the veil behind which each and every public official, who is prevailed upon to account for a behaviour that is perhaps unbecoming and at times indeed criminal, employs to avoid facing the music. Senator Innis assaulted a woman. In Liberia assault, common, malicious or with the intent to do grieveous bodily harm is a crime pure and simple. In this case, Senator Innis, having allegedly assaulted a woman proceeded to the police station and effected or cause to effect the arrest of his alleged victim, one woman... [Read Full Text]
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