By Patrick Stephen Tokpah
GBARNGA-The Liberia National Police Bong County detachment has arrested, charged, and sent to court a student of the government-run John Flomo Bakalu High School.
The student is Emmanuel N. Slabert, age 20 for allegedly raising false public alarms of being kidnapped in the County.
Speaking in an interview with reporters at the LNP Headquarters in Gbarnga, Bong County on February 8, 2023, the Crime Services Division Commander John Kellenso Flomo said suspect Emmanuel N. Slabert allegedly send a text message that he was kidnapped by an unknown person.
According to Commander John Kellenso Flomo, after receiving the information they were able to launch a massive search in the County and later arrested the living body of student Emmanuel N. Slabert.
Commander Flomo quoted suspect Emmanuel N. Slabert’s text message he (Emmanuel) sent to his brother as saying “Oh, I’m sorry he’s gone please let your parents know about this, I will break his SMS Sim card from now on.”
Commander Flomo said suspect Emmanuel N. Slabert’s text message brought too much public outcry, especially at the John FLomo Bakalu school campus where some community members were pointing accusing fingers at the school principal of being linked in the crime.
The Bong County Crime Services Division Commander revealed that during the Police investigation, he (Emmanuel) admitted to committing the crime, but said it was intended to test the love his parents have for him (Emmanuel).
Additionally, suspect Emmanuel N. Slabert told journalists that he left campus on Wednesday, February 7, 2023, after writing his test to go to Peesia Town, Lower Bong County to install a DSTV as a technician when his brother called him that their mother was in search of him, adding that after the communication he (Emmanuel) decided to send the said text message to his brother.
According to him, after sending the text message, his phone went out of network and he was unable to inform his brother back that he (Emmanuel) was joking.
Moreover, suspect Emmanuel N. Slabert is appealing to the Liberia National Police to have mercy on him, on grounds that he was just joking with his brother.
For his part, the government-run John Flomo Bakalu High School Principal Josiah B. Kollie lauded the Liberia National Police Bong County Detachment for the arrest of the living body of Student Emmanual N. Slabert on grounds that there was a lot of misinformation spread about him as Principal of the government-run school in the County.
According to Mr. Kollie, because of the misinformation, normal academic activity for the afternoon students of the school was disrupted on February 7, 2023.
“I thank God that the Police were able to arrest the living body of Emmanuel N. Slabert,” Principal Kollie noted.
The John FLomo Bakalu High School Senior student was charged with False Public Alarm under section 17.4 of the new panel law of Liberia and he’s currently awaiting court trial.
Section 17.4. False public alarm, says “A person is guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor if he initiates or circulates a report or warning of an impending bombing or other crime or catastrophe, knowing that the report or warning is false or baseless and that it is likely to cause evacuation of a building, place of assembly, or facility of public transport, or to cause public inconvenience or alarm.”
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.