Former Police Chief Under Probe for Journalist's Death
Monrovia — Atty. Chris Massaquoi, former Inspector General of the Liberia National Police, has been invited by the Police for questioning in connection with the murder of journalist Tyron Brown. Details of the investigation have not been made public by the police. However, in a telephone interview with FrontPageAfrica, Atty. Massaquoi said, the murder suspect, Jonathan Williams, sought his legal advice on Friday, April 20 upon admitting to him he was responsible for the death. Massaquoi said he told the suspect that he could not represent him as his lawyer. "I told him, you have to turn yourself in," he said. The former Police IG said he did not know the suspect and their meeting on Friday was the first, while refuting speculations on social media that he is related to the suspect. Newton Stewart, security guard as Massaquoi's residence told FPA that suspect Williams had hurriedly gone to meet the former LNP boss. " I was in the yard, but was at the back, but what I know is, the IT boy came to do work on chief laptop, and as soon as he knocked at the gate, a car was behind him, a white infinity marked A63505. The officer at the gate asked him (suspect) to identify himself and he said he had no identity but had been calling chief Chris but his line is busy," Stewart said. "So the officer told him (suspect Williams) since you almost in the fence come in, the officer told him to park in the yard and was going to contact our boss (Massaquoi), if our boss confirmed he will go upstairs to meet him." "But while the officer tried contacting Chief Chris, he just directly went upstairs and was already in our chief living room, and then he suddenly met my chief, so I left them in the living room, but what they discussed I don't know." Social media, particularly Facebook has been buzzing with several users demanding that the former Police Inspector General to be interrogated by police. Police sources told FPA that the former IG have told investigators that he only saw suspect Williams Friday prior to his arrest and apprehension. The source also said following the arrest of Williams, an alleged accomplice named Caesar Bill Kennedy was also arrested along with three other persons of interest. Kennedy is accused of accompanying Williams to dump the body of Journalist Brown along the road. Three females are among the five suspects that are currently undergoing investigation, the source said. Meanwhile, suspect Williams finally made a formal statement in the presence of his lawyer, Cllr. Cyril Jones, who said the suspect is married to his cousin. Moses Carter, Director for Press at the LNP, said suspect Williams told investigators that he mistook the deceased for an armed robber. He said suspect Williams is cooperating with investigators to establish the main cause of the murder. "On Sunday at 9:00 PM, the deceased show up at his home when one of his relatives identified as Alice went to receive a knock on the door, when she asked, the deceased didn't identified himself, again my other niece asked him but he didn't identified himself," Carter recounted the testimony of suspect Williams. Carter continued: "So I came out with a knife and asked the deceased to leave my house, but he didn't so we started fighting and he felt to the ground, and the knife was used on him for self-defense." "So I can say he was trespassing, in the interval I pushed him out of the house, a scuffled occurred." "He took the body and placed it in a car and dropped it at Duport Road Junction." The police spokesman said one of the suspects in custody only identified as Edwina confirmed that the deceased was a casual friend and was someone who motivated her.
Monrovia — Atty. Chris Massaquoi, former Inspector General of the Liberia National Police, has been invited by the Police for questioning in connection with the murder of journalist Tyron Brown. Details of the investigation have not been made public by the police. However, in a telephone interview with FrontPageAfrica, Atty. Massaquoi said, the murder suspect, Jonathan Williams, sought his legal advice on Friday, April 20 upon admitting to him he was responsible for the death. Massaquoi said he told the suspect that he could not represent him as his lawyer. "I told him, you have to turn yourself in," he said. The former Police IG said he did not know the suspect and their meeting on Friday was the first, while refuting speculations on social media that he is related to the suspect. Newton Stewart, security guard as Massaquoi's residence told FPA that suspect Williams had hurriedly gone to meet the former LNP boss. " I was in the yard, but was at the back, but what I know is, the IT boy came to do work on chief laptop, and as soon as he knocked at the gate, a car was behind him, a white infinity marked A63505. The officer at the gate asked him (suspect) to identify himself and he said he had no identity but had been calling chief Chris but his line is busy," Stewart said. "So the officer told him (suspect Williams) since you almost in the fence come in, the officer told him to park in the yard and was going to contact our boss (Massaquoi), if our boss confirmed he will go upstairs to meet him." "But while the officer tried contacting Chief Chris, he just directly went upstairs and was already in our chief living room, and then he suddenly met my chief, so I left them in the living room, but what they discussed I don't know." Social media, particularly Facebook has been buzzing with several users demanding that the former Police Inspector General to be interrogated by police. Police sources told FPA that the former IG have told investigators that he only saw suspect Williams Friday prior to his arrest and apprehension. The source also said following the arrest of Williams, an alleged accomplice named Caesar Bill Kennedy was also arrested along with three other persons of interest. Kennedy is accused of accompanying Williams to dump the body of Journalist Brown along the road. Three females are among the five suspects that are currently undergoing investigation, the source said. Meanwhile, suspect Williams finally made a formal statement in the presence of his lawyer, Cllr. Cyril Jones, who said the suspect is married to his cousin. Moses Carter, Director for Press at the LNP, said suspect Williams told investigators that he mistook the deceased for an armed robber. He said suspect Williams is cooperating with investigators to establish the main cause of the murder. "On Sunday at 9:00 PM, the deceased show up at his home when one of his relatives identified as Alice went to receive a knock on the door, when she asked, the deceased didn't identified himself, again my other niece asked him but he didn't identified himself," Carter recounted the testimony of suspect Williams. Carter continued: "So I came out with a knife and asked the deceased to leave my house, but he didn't so we started fighting and he felt to the ground, and the knife was used on him for self-defense." "So I can say he was trespassing, in the interval I pushed him out of the house, a scuffled occurred." "He took the body and placed it in a car and dropped it at Duport Road Junction." The police spokesman said one of the suspects in custody only identified as Edwina confirmed that the deceased was a casual friend and was someone who motivated her.
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