By G. Bennie Bravo Johnson:
The Liberian National Police (LNP) has finally brought Boakai Passawe and others to court for the crime of murder, following a protest by unhappy residents of Johnson Street at the LNP headquarters in connection with a mob violence against the late Kolubah Marshall.
Defendants Boakai Passawe, Mohammed Kromah, and Thomas Blamo were charged with murder, aggravated assault, and criminal attempt in violation of Liberia’s amended penal code, chapter 14, sections 14. 1, 14. 20, and 10.1, pending trial by the court.
According to the police charge sheet, on March 12, victims Kolubah Marshall and Mohammed Sheriff were engaged in the sale of broken pieces of tiles and used bidets/commodes at Johnson Street and left their business area for J.J.Y., where they had gone in search of tiles to purchase for marketing purposes.
The charged sheet established that, while returning to Johnson Street, victims Kolubah and Sheriff made a stop at Vai Town, Busrhod Island, to also search for some pieces of tiles.
“While awaiting the vehicles from the direction of Freeport to pass for them to cross the main street so as to gain access to the lane from Monrovia to Freeport, defendant Blamo, who was riding a motor bike from the direction of Gabriel Tucker bridge and headed towards the Clara Town direction, was seen unlawfully using the opposite lane (Freeport to Monrovia) precisely around H & A business center where he hit victims Kolubah Marshall and Mohammed Sheriff with the bike,” an witness told police investigator.
The police charge sheet maintained that as a result of the hit, victim Kolubah Marshall fell to the ground and, upon waking up, an argument ensued between the victim and defendant Blamo, which led to victim Marshall seizing the motor bike keys.
It said that while the keys were in the possession of the victim, defendant Blamo argued or contended that the victims (Kolubah Marshall and Mohammed Sheriff) were motor bike thieves and wanted to steal his motorbike.
During an investigation with Defendant Passawe, he averred that he was busy transferring his things from Doe Community to his new home at Jamaica Road when he heard that a motor bike rogue was killed at Vai Town.
According to him, when he got to Vai Town, he saw a group of people surrounding the person that was killed and stood up behind the crowd and observed the person lying down on the road with his ordinary ring beside him.
Defendant Passawe noted that on Wednesday, while he was riding his bike, he saw Hassan Sheriff, who came and identified him as one of the people who was present when the incident occurred.
A thorough Police investigation into the mob action that resulted in the death of Kolubah Marshall as well as the assault perpetrated on the human person of victim Mohammed Sheriff on Saturday, it was established that prior to the mob incident, both Kolubah Marshall and Mohammed Sheriff were engaged in the sale of broken pieces of tiles and bidets/commodes at Johnson Street, Monrovia, Liberia.
Despite defendant Passawe denial of his participation in the murder of Kolubah Marshall as well as the beating of Mohammed Sheriff, Police investigation uncovered that he participated along with defendant Mohammed Kromah and others to be identified in the mob actions.
