By Rocheford T. Gardiner
MARYLAND COUNTY, LIBERIA – Citizens of Maryland County in their anger at the Justice System – have called for the total closure of courts and other correction processes. The call comes in the wake of the release of two men (names withheld for their safety as there are threats to lynch them) charged with the murder of Peter Hudgins – a lunatic middle-aged man who was reportedly mobbed to death at Harper’s Bunker Hill enclave.
Maryland County Attorney Philip Whiegar confirmed to Phoenix FM that the two suspects were released from the Central Prison in Fish Town, River Gee County, under section 13.5 of the penal law, but assured that they will definitely be tried during the next term of court.
The county has been out of a central prison facility since March 2021, after riotous youths (mostly motorcyclists) partly burned down and destroyed most of the regional central prison at Middlesex in Harper. At least 85 hardcore convicted criminals were let loose in that process.
The County Attorney also disclosed his shock over the decision of the Ministry of Justice to reassign all prison guards from Maryland to surrounding counties like Grand Gedeh, River Gee, and Grand Kru. Whiegar added that higher-ups in Monrovia have expressed reluctance to renovate the prison in Harper because ‘it is Marylanders who keep repeatedly destroying the facility’ – something which sounds like a total abandonment of Maryland County – now left at the mercy of criminals amidst a weak security sector.
Philip Whiegar disclosed that the River Gee Prison officials are rejecting pretrial detainees (including rape and murder suspects) because of the lack of sufficient food and space. This means that criminal suspects have to be released back into the communities.
Compounding the situation is the lack of police holding cells in the capital Harper as well as the regional commercial hub Pleebo – which is three times more populated than Harper.
Another scary situation is the grossly undermanned security sector. Police in Maryland County cannot boast of more than a minimum platoon size in the entire Harper District. Some remote districts like Baroboe and Kahloway may only have a combined total of no more than five. I did not see a single police officer in the two major towns in the largest and most remote Baroboe District when I visited Goflakehn and Julukehn two months ago.
In addition, the only rickety old Toyota Landcruiser of the Maryland County Police was also destroyed during the riots mentioned earlier. Up to seventeen people were arrested then for various charges – ranging from arson, destruction of public and private property, and more – but were all released after some months in detention at the Zwedru Correction facility. Unconfirmed reports point to the intervention of “powerful” Lawmakers from the county with “ties” to the ruling establishment.
The crime rate has since spiked to an all-time high, as police are even reluctant to effectuate arrests since there is nowhere to keep pre-trial detainees.
Lawmakers, whenever contacted, say they are “making efforts’ in Monrovia to remedy the situation. Superintendent George Prowd – when asked once about mobility for the police – mentioned that his engagement with Police Director Patrick Sudu earned him a “cheeky” response, adding that the Director indicated that a police vehicle for Maryland County was not a priority since they were responsible for destroying their own vehicle.
With elections just around the corner and a rising crime rate, it remains to be seen how Central Government can enforce law and order under these conditions which seems worse than during the Liberian civil war.
