Arms Seized?

With barley few days to the holding of the June 7 protest, security forces are said to have arrested   two vehicles which contained several assault weapons.

Security sources who confided in this paper over the weekend said several AK-47 guns were seized at the Mount Barclay Check point late last week.

“The arrest was made by some security officers assigned at the check point. They saw a ‘casket’ which some occupants said had their relative who had died in it. They were taking the person to the funeral home for embalmment,” the officer who declined to be named said.

“But one officer insisted that they should open the casket for them to see the   dead person. The occupants refused and even gave money to some officers to allow them to go through. But some of the security refused and later opened the casket.”

The source added: “to everyone’s surprise, they saw new AK-47 in the casket. They decided to park the vehicle to question those who said the body belongs to them. They were detained and all phones were taken away from them.”

After an hour, the source said, another vehicle with casket arrived on the scene with the same story. “The officers this time decided to open the casket to see dead person. Again, the same new AK-47 machine guns were seen. They were all arrested.”

When this paper contacted the police headquarters for comments, the spokesman promised to contact the relevant security agencies assigned at the Mount Barclay check point.

Also, when the Minister of Information, Lenn Eugene Nagbe was called for questioning, his phone rang with no answer.  Later, a Deputy   Minister at the Ministry of Information was called. But he added, “I have no idea on this. But this is something the relevant security agencies would be able to speak to later.”

At the Check point, officers from the Liberia National Police, Liberia Immigration Service, Forestry Development Authority, Ministry of Transport and Liberia Revenue Authority. But the arrest occurred after 1:00AM last week.

In recent times, The Council of Patriots, planners of the June 7 protest said the demonstration will be peaceful and called on their supporters to remain peaceful. However, one of the planers, Talk Show Host, Henry Costa, on his radio some time ago said he would hire people to get guns to defend himself. But he later made clarification against getting guns. TNR