By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
The Civilian Complaint and Review Board of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, revealed that it has received the full report of the Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC) protest which took place in February 2024.
The Civilian Complaint and Review Board is expected to review and make recommendations from the findings. The said chairperson of the Board and President of the Liberia National Bar Association, Cllr. Sylvester Rennie intimated that the board received the finding through the LNP through the Minister of Justice/Attorney General, Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, concerning the Bea Mountain Mining Company, Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County report concerning the protest that resulted in the death of some of our citizens.
It can be recalled, between February 27 and 29, there were deadly protests by residents of Grand Cape Mount County demanding the company to live up to its concession agreement rocked the Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC) area.
Amongst their counts, the protestors called for the removal of Debbah Allen as Country Manager of the Bea Mountain Mining Company, Welfare and provision of electricity for the locals improvement of its employees’ healthcare.
On February 29, the protesters “aggressively” regrouped and attacked the police.
In the police report, “During the incident rioters threw molotov-cocktail, threw stones using slings, used single barrel shotguns, and wounded several officers, vandalized, looted, and burnt down the police station and barracks along with the Liberian Flag.
The rioters had all these deadly weapons and, at the same time, used them against the Police, thereby defeating the officers’ three lines of positions and trying to break the last barrier, putting the Police in harm’s way and in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury,” said the Professional Standard Department of the LNP in its report.
Meanwhile, the CCRB says that it will review the report and make the necessary recommendations to the Minister of Justice. According to a Press Release from the CCRB, while reviewing the report, it will conduct investigations where necessary and where clarifications are needed, for the establishment of the truth.
The CCRB was established by an Act of the Legislative in 2016.bThe Board is chaired by the President of the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA), other members include representatives of the Ministers of Justice and Internal Affairs, the Chair of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights, the President of the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), the Chair of the National Civil Society Council and the President of the Liberia National Law Enforcement Association.
The Board is to receive, process, and determine any complaint made against the LNP, LIS, or any police or Immigration Officer, or Civilian personnel. In a related development, the CCRB also received an Investigative Report from the Crime Services Division of the
Liberia National Police (LNP) through the Office of the Minister of Justice/Attorney General, Cllr. N. Oswald Tweh, regarding a case of alleged Manslaughter and Aggravated Assault by employees of the Liberia Electricity Corporation, for its review and subsequent recommendations. The Board assured the public that it will conduct a transparent review of the reports and will make the necessary recommendations to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Liberia.
