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On the afternoon of Monday, July 19, the editor of M-News Africa, an online magazine and 35 TV, Michael Roberts was allegedly manhandled by officers aboard a double cabin van of the Unit. Police Support Center (PSU) in the Redlight shopping district in Paynesville.
Journalist Roberts, as part of his journalistic duties, covered the joint efforts of the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), the Department of Public Works and the Paynesville City Corporation (PCC) to clean up the garbage stocks in the areas of Redlight and Goba Chop Market. as well as other parts of Montserrado County as part of a campaign called “Leave No Dirt Behind” to mark preparations for the celebration of Liberia’s 174th Independence Day.
As part of the ‘Leave No Dirt Behind’ campaign, marketers have been urged to relocate to 14 Goba Chop Market in the Omega community to enable development, including completion of the 6.1 ELWA route. km to Coca Cola Factory and beautification of the area.
Speaking to reporters, the M-News Africa boss said he was accompanying the mayor of the city of Monrovia, Jefferson Tamba Koijee, to cover an assessment of traders’ compliance with the relocation order. On the way back he [Michael] left behind to get stills and video of traders defiantly selling in areas they were asked to leave.
Police officers who allegedly mistreated a journalist
“I decided to live stream the challenge of marketers to the public and enforcers to see what was going on despite the order. A man in a black PCC branded t-shirt wasted the ‘one of the vendors’ products while I was still broadcasting live. The lady got angry and decided to fight the officer. Passers-by intervened but the lady was still furious. She threw mud on a PSU pickup carrying police officers to enforce the relocation order. Officers in the back of the pickup jumped out of the car and I ran behind the lady to stop her. these events, I was live, ”said reporter Roberts.
According to him, all of a sudden one of the officers ran towards him angrily without asking and punched him with force and his Samsung Galaxy S9 plus phone fell into a pool of muddy water. Although he told officers he was a reporter and worked with the relocation execution team, the officer called another colleague who helped manhandle him and throw him in. the police pick-up already filled with foufou and other confiscated items.
He testified that they caused him bodily pain while taking him to the Zone 9 2 depot. Upon his arrival, a senior police officer from the town of Paynesville under whose supervision the police were operating reported. ordered that reporter Roberts be taken to the police depot at the “Turtle Base Detention” while his identity was known.
He explained that while he was taken to the police holding cell in Area 9 Depot 2, he was rescued thanks to the intervention of Mayor Jefferson Koijee who had left earlier to attend a radio broadcast. .
Journalist Roberts is currently seeking medical attention at a local clinic to treat the pain from the stroke. The journalist’s Samsung Galaxy S9 plus phone is damaged as a result of the officer’s blow. To be continued.
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