By Jerromie S. Walters
Conakry – The Guinean government has called for an urgent investigation into recent incident involving the use of excessive force by Liberian police against Madam Zainab Bah, a Guinean national, during an arrest for suspected electricity theft. The Foreign Ministry statement published via its verified Facebook page incorrectly characterized the incident as a sexual assault. However, the actual story is the use of excessive force during the arrest.
Guinea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Dr. Morissanda Kouyaté, its Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, and Guineans Living Abroad, met Mr. Samuel Semah, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Liberian Embassy in Guinea, following the circulation of a video showing the arrest.
In the meeting, Minister Kouyaté expressed deep concern over the treatment of the Guinean woman and called for a transparent probe into the conduct of the officers involved. “In a firm tone, His Excellency the Minister has denounced these inaccuracies by the Liberian Police and asked the Liberian authorities to shed full light on this situation so that the perpetrators are punished to the extent of their loot,” the Foreign Ministry stated.
According to the release, Mr. Semah acknowledged the gravity of the situation, describing it as an “unfortunate and isolated incident” that does not reflect the standards of Liberia’s law enforcement. He assured Guinean officials that Monrovia is taking steps to address the matter and will provide updates on the investigation.
“In return, the Commissioner of Affairs thanked His Excellency the Minister for his frank collaboration before emphasizing that this case is an isolated act that the Liberian government is lamenting. He assures the Guinean authorities of making arrangements on the side of Liberia to resolve “this unfortunate incident” promptly. He salutes this brotherly approach of the Guinean Chief of Diplomacy and promises to account for his hierarchy,” the release notes.
However, officials at Liberia’s Foreign Ministry say they are not aware of the concern of their regional counterparts regarding the incident. They promised to make a follow up. Early Thursday, members of the Muslim community staged a protest in response to the situation. Also on Thursday, Inspector General Gregory O. W. Coleman hosted a meeting with community leaders and officials from the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) at LNP Headquarters.
Held in the IG’s conference room, the dialogue focused on strengthening transparency and trust.
The Inspector General reiterated that the matter captured in the video is not religious in nature, and assured that a full investigation, guided by review of the original video footage is already ongoing through the Professional Standards Division. The Police IG has since come under criticism for apologizing to the Islamic community, considering that Madam Bah resisted being arrested.
