Horror at LAC! - Widow Cries for Justice
Forum
Monrovia, Liberia
Distributed by
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
In an attempt to ascertain the fact about the death of late Zobor, a team of human rights organizations traveled to LAC and met with the widow, Comfort Zogbor on 8, January 2006.
Mrs. Zogbor, according to the team, challenged the story being told by the LAC management and the government of Liberia of how her husband met his untimely death.
Comfort Zogbor is reported to have said that when the body of her husband was discovered “it did not appear to have died as a result of drowning since the creek in question was not deeper than the height of the deceased,” adding, “he could have walked across,” she cried.
Mrs. Zogbor further told the rights team that she suspects foul play in the death of her husband and is requesting for an independent investigation to establish “the true nature of how her husband’s death occurred.”
The family also asserted that their suspicion has increased owing to the
“rush burial of the man upon the order of the Administrative Manager
of LAC, Cllr. Alexander Attia, without the benefit of an autopsy.”
Comfort told the rights group that she objected to the unceremonial and
hasty burial of her husband until an independent autopsy was performed but
her appeal fell on deaf ears as Cllr. Attia was reported to have told her
that the “company was going ahead with the burial of Morris irrespective
of the family’s opposition,” adding, “the family (members)
were not allowed to see the body of their loved one prior to his burial.”
For their part, the villagers said they were arrested by the combined security forces of LAC, LNP and UNMIL peacekeepers on allegations that they killed one of the 58 workers of the management who had gone to clear the land in the area.
They further indicated that those detained were tortured to confess the crime of murder, adding, “The seven men who were detained along with Elder Monyou were beaten and detained at the private prison of LAC for three days prior to their transfer to Buchanan, where they were charged first with terroristic threats and later with murder of Morris.”
The villagers who are also calling for an independent investigation by
competent and professional persons to establish the cause of the death of
Morris, said the area where the 58 LAC contracted workers were working and
where the late Morris got drowned, is estimated to be between three to four
miles.
“The distance between the two villages and spot in the Zloh Creek
where LAC and the government of Liberia alleged that the detained citizens
caused Morris to get drowned, is nearly 9-11 miles away from the villages,”
they asserted.
No comment could come from the Management of LAC when it was contacted via cell phone. Both the General and Administrative Managers George Mensah and Cllr. Attiah’s cell phones were either busy or switched off at the time.
For the government of Liberia, the outgoing Deputy Minister for Justice,
Theophelius Gould, claimed that the area in question belongs to LAC in accordance
with concession agreement signed with the government.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has ordered the LAC
management to halt all project activities until all the circumstances regarding
the implementation “of this project relative to implementing the environmental
impact assessment can be thoroughly conducted.”
