MONROVIA- Former General Butt Naked(now Bishop Joshua Blayee) who once fought for MODEL-Movement for Democracy in Liberia, during the Liberian civil war has been accused of ordering his men to beat a lawyer after the latter was invited by him.
He was accused by Atty. Theophilus T. Gbeadah of instructing his men to beat him. He had to run away to safety.
Explaining his ordeal over the weekend, he said he once represented Bishop Blayee’s legal interest after he was arrested by the Ureys’ on grounds that he occupied their land illegally.
“On Monday I was invited by him. I have been in the interior for the past five years working in various courts. There were issues with land business with the Urey and him, bishop Blayee. When I got there with three of my friends, he(Bishop Blayee) gave us seat to sit and we started a nice conversation.”
“When I got there, he was very happy. We joke and then he asked what is it Urey’s wanted from me. I told him that the Ureys are not after him.
“Then he said but every time Ureys children will come over along with the widow,” he said.
According to him, ‘hell broke loose when he told him that he could not represent his legal interest anymore because he was also a lawyer for the Ureys. So, by his professional ethics, he refused to provide any legal services for both parties.
But this annoyed Bishop, especially when he told him that the Ureys were planning to take legal action against him.
Moreover, he told the Bishop that he was not a party to the land he was occupying and wanted the two parties to meet.
He said he wanted to avoid legal action against him by the Ureys. “The conflict between Blayee and the Ureys; had complained to me that they wanted to go to court. But I advised Urey that there was a need to have a conference. He Blayee lived with the Urey for some time in one of their house at FDA. So, I did not want for them to go to court.”
According to the lawyer, “when I said, I will not be able to plead for him, his sister and him got upset. But I also told him that I am not a signatory to his deed and did not know how he acquired the land.”
“It was at that time that he sent for his men in the yard, over 30. One of them hit me with Chair on my head and I started to bleed. Before the man could hit me with the chair, Blayee came to me and said, I should leave from in his chair. He tried to pull the chair from under me. I decided to run away. In the process of that, I left my slipper and phone in his yard. Blayee himself went to lock the gate, but I escaped,” he said.
Based on the seriousness of the he later reported the case to the police. But to his surprise, Gen. Butt Naked was in conversations with both the police director and the director of traffic, code name 117.
When taken to the station, he was never taken to the hospital for treatment, but rather they requested him to write statement. This, according to him, did not go down well with the legal counsel at the police station, Peter Kpanyah,
“This man should be treated first before he is asked any question. This is not correct, ”he quoted the police legal man as saying. He later went to the hospital for treatment.
When this paper contacted the head of traffic who was said to be aware of the case, he did not answer. A text message was sent but there was no answer. When contacted police spokesman, Moses Carter, said he could not speak on the matter as he did not have any information on it but would get back later.
For his part, Bishop Blayee was unavailable.
Atty. Gbeadah said he wants this case to be investigated well. The action by Bishop Blayee he said shows that many ex-fighters who claimed to be converted are lying to gain favor.
He wants the case to be investigated professionally.