The Liberia National Police has declared the Secretary General of the Opposition Collaborating Political Parties Mohamed Ali a wanted man for failing to honor the police invitation on two occasions, but Ali’s lawyer, Cllr Finley Karngar, rebuked the order when he told a local online television that Mr. Ali has done nothing to warrant his arrest.
The war of words between the two started when Police Spokesman, Moses Carter hosted journalists at the police headquarters where he said Mr. Ali flouted police invitation. Carter said Mr. Ali was invited and was expected to have appeared before the police to clarify a Facebook post he made early March which he (carter) noted have threatened the National Elections Commission.
Carter reasoned that days after the Mo Ali’s Facebook post, the National Elections Commission was attacked with petrol bombs, which is presently of concerned to the state security. He maintained that while the police respect the health of Mr. Ali, the police will arrest him anywhere he is found if it turns out that he is not sick, that his failure to honor the police invitation is deliberate.
But Cllr. Karngar decisively reacted to the statement made by Mr. Carter, wondering what would be the crime for which Mr. Ali is to be arrested by the police.
“It is laughable! It is extremely laughable,” Cllr. Karngar said. He explained that indeed, he went to the police station to have a conversation with Mr. Patrick Sudue, Inspector General (IG) of the Liberia National but the police chief was not present.
Cllr Karngar indicated that as a result of the absence of the Mr. Sudue, the legal team of Mr. Ali deposited a communication they have taken with them with the office of the IG which the IG’s protocol had signed for and wondered who at the Liberia National Police made the threat of arresting his client.
Informed by journalists that that Police Spokesman Inspector Moses Carter told Journalists that Mr. Ali will be arrested anywhere he is found, Cllr. Karngar exclaimed, “Moses is a good friend; but he makes statements without actually knowing what they mean”
The legal practitioner continued, “If you made such a statement, it endangers not only the life of the man, but it also endangers the lives of his family.”
He maintained that to declare a man wanted it must be for a cause. “You must have a charge against him. Did the police say Ali did something for which he is wanted?”
He reminded the police that Mr. Ali did not appear at the police station though, he did appear through his lawyers. “Now let me asked: what did they want Mo Ali for? Is it for murder? For rape? Or for arson?”
Cllr. Karngar said Mr. Ali does not have to be in their physical possession before the police charges him, adding. “Let them go to Court. If Mr. Ali did something for which he is wanted, the police should proceed to court or process an indictment against him and then Mo Ali gets arrested. Arresting him in a fashion as you are saying Carter ordered is a misuse of power.”
He explained that he requested the police to tell him if they have any information concerning their clients (which he said was part of the contents of the letter to the Police IG) but added that since then, police did not respond up to the time of Carter’s declaration.
“My friend, Mr. Ali is sick. He cannot go to the Police. Suppose he has COVID-19 – do you want him to spread it amongst the police?” he asked
Cllr. Karngar maintained that his client was not informed that he was invited by police in relation to a crime he committed, saying that the police invited Mr. Ali to have a conversation with him, and that he was not forced to go to any conversation.
He however said Mr. Ali will be escorted to the Police Station for the conversation the police invited him to this Monday, meaning today.