By: Anthony Q. Jiffan, Jr.
In the wake of mounting public debate over the just released autopsy report into the death of 25 year old Princess Cooper, Human Rights Lawyer, Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe has welcomed President Goerge Manneh Weah’s order for a second autopsy to be conducted on her remains, stressing that a second autopsy as ordered by the Liberian leader is laudable and might help get the actual story behind the death of Princess Cooper.
“The Minister of Justice has informed the family and I represent them, he said the President has ordered that he work with the bereaved family so that they (family) can find an independent pathologist who they have confidence in to conduct a second autopsy” Cllr. Gongloe averred.
Speaking to the Analyst Newspaper in Monrovia on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, Cllr. Gongloe said though he is not a medical practitioner, his search for how tuberculosis kills has found out that malaria kills faster than tuberculosis.
According to him it is his obligation as legal counsel in the case to ensure that they get to the bottom of what killed Princess Cooper to clear the doubts on the minds of family members as well as the general public.
Although the former Liberia National Bar Association President did not agree with the autopsy report, he indicated that he is not a medical practitioner to counter a medical report.
Barely a day after the release of the autopsy report into the death of Princess Cooper, President Weah has directed Justice Minister Frank Musah Dean to avail the remains of the late Princess Cooper for the conduct of a second autopsy by a family designated pathologist.
The decision, the Liberian leader said, is to lend support to the bereaved family, in their quest to bring closure to the circumstances surrounding the death of their loved one along with concerns raised by some citizens with the initial autopsy.
President Weah said the government will fund the conduct of the second autopsy and called on the family to designate a pathologist of their choice, possessing the requisite credentials and qualifications.
President Weah urged Minister Dean to ensure that all civil society, political and other interest groups and individuals who have been involved with advocacy in the case to cooperate with the family and send the name of a designated qualified pathologist to the government in the soonest possible time for the conduct of the second autopsy.
It can be recalled that on March 24, 2022 the corpse of 25 year old Princess Cooper was discovered in the fence of the FAWAZ Building Materials Store at ELWA junction in Paynesville city with blood pulling out of her mouth.
Following that incident, there have been series of protests from family members, civil society organizations and other rights groups among others calling on government to bring the perpetrator to book and give justice to family.
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