The recent statement made by Montserrado County electoral district ten Representative, Yekeh Kolubah that the governing Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) is forming new security guards has raised concerns in the country; thus causing people to speak on the matter.
Recently, Representative Kolubah told OkayFM Liberia via mobile phone that the CDC led government was training military for special operations.
Representative Kolubah is a stalwart of the Alternative National Congress, one of the parties to the opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP). He’s a member of the pressure group within the country ‘Council of Patriots (COP).
After the allegation, this paper spoke with him on the phone to confirm it, he said, ‘yes, it’s true.’ However, when contacted late Monday October 19, 2020 to give details, he responded that he was driving.
A reporter from this paper visited the Police Training Academy over the weekend, sources gave different statements. Some confirmed that there was training ongoing, but did not know if they were people from the governing CDC.
“We are training some men and women. The training is part of our ongoing work here. I can tell you for sure that we were given list of people to come here for additional training,” one police trainer who begged not to be named said.
The source added “Once we get list to carry on training, we have no objection. We are a government entity and will not question anyone our superior sends to us. Our work is to obey and not to question.”
Recently, Representative Kolubah accused the current ruling party of training private army to be placed into other security agencies. He said, they were training them to be placed into the Immigration, Drugs Enforcement Agency, Fire Service, Police and other places. He added that the intention of the CDC government is to have special unit that would be dedicated to the party.
Other sources seen at the party’s headquarters told our reporter that people were seen taking exercise that is compared to military training in the morning hours.
“Many days, around 4:00am to 5:30am, behind the place here [referring to CDC headquarters], we can see people taking training. When day light is coming, they close it,” one source who declined to be named said.
However, multiple sources told this paper that many of those who were on training at the Academy were graduates from the ‘CDC’ base.
“The training commander for them is one Michael Tarplah, a former Police Support Unit officer who went to Nigeria for training during the regime of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf time. He is the one training them. His other name is “Nation”, the source said.
Another person alleged that a former Anti Terrorist Unit-ATU officer of ex-president Charles Taylor was conducting the preliminary training for the CDC ‘military’.
“I know the commander who is conducting the training for the CDC men. We all used to be in ATU. He is a well trained man. Many days, we can meet. He told me that they are training them for any eventuality in the future.”
When this paper contacted the Chairman of the CDC, Mr. Mulbah Morlu for comments, he did not answer. He was sent series of text messages, but did not respond to the answer.
Police spokesman Denies:
When contacted, the spokesman of the Liberia National Police, Moses Carter said the Police Training Academy is open to all of the security apparatuses for training purposes.
“It does not only train police officers; it’s open to private security and any other person who wants to train because the academy is a training school. To talk about training people that will be used to get at people, that is false and misleading. Those who go through the academy are vetted for conventional training purposes and not for mercenary purposes. So, we are not training anyone for mercenary purposes,” Carter said.
He added “We are training people on professional lines, and those persons who are trained, come from different security apparatus. They are trained to be disciplined and go out there to be in the confined of their work as security people.”
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