The Managing Editor of M-News Africa, an online magazine and 35 TV, Michael Roberts was allegedly manhandled by officers riding a Police Support Unit (PSU) double cabin pickup in the commercial district of Redlight.
Speaking to the media, the M-News Africa Managing Director said he accompanied the Mayor of the City of Monrovia, Jefferson Tamba Koijee, to provide coverage of an assessment of adherence to the relocation order by marketers. On the way back, Michael stayed behind to get still and video footage of marketers who were defiantly selling in the areas they were asked to vacate.
He is quoted as saying, “I decided to stream the marketers defiance live for the public and enforcers of the order to see what was happening in spite of the order. A man with a PCC branded black t-shirt wasted one of the sellers’ goods while I was still streaming live. The lady got angry and decided to fight the officer. Passersby intervened but the lady was still incensed. She threw mud at a Police marked PSU pickup carrying officers to enforce the relocation order. The officers at the back of pick up jumped off the car and ran behind the lady to arrest her. Throughout these happenings, I was live streaming.”
According to the Liberian media professional, all of a sudden one of the officers ran to him angrily without asking and hit him with force and his Samsung Galaxy S9 plus phone dropped in a pool of muddy waters. Despite announcing to the officers that he is a journalist and that he has been working with the relocation enforcement team, the officer called another colleague, who helped to manhandle Roberts and throw him into the police pick up already filled with fufu and other confiscated items.
He further stated that they inflicted bodily pains on him while taking him to the Zone 9 Depot 2. Upon arrival, a senior officer of the Paynesville City Police, under whose supervision the officers were operating, ordered that Journalist Roberts be taken to “Tortoise Base” Police Depot for detention, even though his identity was known.
He at the same time said that while he was being taken to the Zone 9 Depot 2 Police detention cell, he was rescued through the intervention of Mayor Jefferson Koijee, who had left earlier.
The Liberian professional is currently seeking medical attention at a local clinic to treat the pains from the hit. The journalist’s Samsung Galaxy S9 plus phone is damaged as a result of the hit from the officer.
It can be recalled, recently journalist Michael Roberts has been covering the joint effort of the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), Ministry of Public Works, and the Paynesville City Corporation (PCC) to clean stockpile of garbage in the Redlight and Goba Chop Market areas as well as other parts of Montserrado County under a campaign dubbed “Leave No Dirt Behind” to mark preparation for Liberia’s 174th Independence Day celebration.
The campaign under the “Leave No Dirt Behind” marketers were asked to relocate to the 14 Goba Chop Market in the Omega Community in order to allow development including the completion of the 6.1km ELWA to Coca-Cola Factory road and beautification of the area.
