MONROVIA-The Government wishes to announce that it is in receipt of a communication from the family of the late Princess Cooper, who was found dead in March, requesting the body of the deceased for burial without the agreed second autopsy.
This is contrary to an initial agreement involving the family, their lawyer, and some civil society organizations for a second autopsy to be conducted by a pathologist the family will select.
The government affirms that it remains very committed to conducting the autopsy that was requested by Princess’ family to allay all the allegations and claims regarding the cause of her death, in order to bring proper closure to this matter.
Her family, in keeping with the government’s commitment to facilitate and fund the conduct of a second autopsy by their designated pathologist, recommended in April a practitioner from the Philippines named Doctor Ritualo
The office of the Attorney General immediately made contact with Dr. Ritualo. Email exchanges began in which the Attorney General requested Doctor Ritualo to send his CV and License that qualify him as a medical doctor and pathologist for onward presentation to the Liberia Medical and Dental Association in keeping with the law and professional medical standards in Liberia.
However, ever since the doctor was asked to submit a copy of his license to operate as a pathologist, a requirement of the Liberia Medical and Dental Council, he has not been heard from. Many attempts by the Minister of Justice to get Doctor Ritualo to comply with his request have yielded no result.
The Cooper family was duly informed of this lack of communication, through their representative, Dr. Abel Momo, their Lawyer Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe and the President of the Liberia Council of Churches Bishop Kortu Brown.
The government wants to make it categorically clear that it remains open to bringing in any other pathologist of the family’s will.
It is concerning therefore that regardless of the many overtures made by the government through the Attorney General to lend support to the bereaved family in their quest to bring closure to the circumstances surrounding the death of Princess Cooper, some have opted to politicize the matter.
Nonetheless, the government through the Minister of Justice, Cllr. Frank Musa Dean as a further demonstration of goodwill, will convene a discussion with the family, their lawyer, the inter-religious Council, and any other civil society organization interested in providing assistance in this matter to find an amicable solution to the impasse.
At the same time, the family of the late Princess Cooper has called on the government of Liberia requesting the lifeless body of their relative.
According to the family spokesman, Dr. Abel Momoh, the family wants to bring to closure their grief, bereavement, and to foster peace of mind thereby giving the late princess cooper a befitting burial.
“Since the said incident, there has been several dissatisfaction, unnecessary misstep, unjustified denial by the government of Liberia through the Liberia national police and the justice ministry” Dr. Momoh lamented.
He added that the Liberian national police has since failed even before or after the autopsy to have provided a full-skill or comprehensive report from what was gathered from their executed investigation so that one would be seen if it has any form of collaboration with the agreed government of Liberia autopsy report.
The family mentioned that there were individuals captured as persons of interest but only certain personalities were exposed to the general public via mentioning their names and publishing an in-house investigation video with one of the listed persons of interest leaving out an unidentified Lebanese national whom the public is yet to be informed as to why he was captured and what was gathered during the police investigation with him.
“The family has seen this as a fruitless journey” Dr. Momoh said.
After the first autopsy was done and the result was announced, many including the family of the deceased casted doubt over the result of the autopsy, thereby making President George weah instructing relevant authority to carry out a second autopsy on the body.
President Weah assured the public that the family of the deceased were going to partake in the whole process of the second autopsy which will give them the right to name their trusted and qualified pathologist.
The family of the deceased disclosed that they contacted five independent forensic pathologist who are out of the country but were resisted citing insecurities and resistance concern, thereby all declining the process.
At the same time, the family of the late Princess Cooper has called on the government of Liberia requesting the lifeless body of their relative.
According to the family spokesman, Dr. Abel Momoh, the family wants to bring to closure their grief, bereavement, and to foster peace of mind thereby giving the late princess cooper a befitting burial.
“ Since the said incident, there has been several dissatisfaction, unnecessary misstep, unjustified denial by the government of Liberia through the Liberia national police and the justice ministry” Dr. Momoh lamented.
He added that the Liberian national police has since failed even before or after the autopsy to have provided a full-skill or comprehensive report from what was gathered from their executed investigation so that one would be seen if it has any form of collaboration with the agreed government of Liberia autopsy report.
The family mentioned that there were individuals captured as persons of interest but only certain personalities were exposed to the general public via mentioning their names and publishing an in-house investigation video with one of the listed persons of interest leaving out an unidentified Lebanese national whom the public is yet to be informed as to why he was captured and what was gathered during the police investigation with him.
“The family has seen this as a fruitless journey” Dr. Momoh said.
After the first autopsy was done and the result was announced, many including the family of the deceased casted doubt over the result of the autopsy, thereby making President George Weah instructing relevant authority to carry out a second autopsy on the body.
President Weah assured the public that the family of the deceased were going to partake in the whole process of the second autopsy which will give them the right to name their trusted and qualified pathologist.
The family of the deceased disclosed that they contacted five independent forensic pathologist who are out of the country but were resisted citing insecurities and resistance concern, thereby all declining the process.
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.