The Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) is calling on the Government of Liberia (GOL), through the Ministry of Justice, to assure the family of the late Prince Wreyou of fair justice in every step leading to the investigation. Also, the commission has requested the government to conduct an autopsy on the deceased to ensure justice. According to the commission, it is a derelict of duty in the circumstance where someone dies at a police station where life is supposed to be protected.
Prince Wreyou, 32, was found dead at the Salem Police Station, Airfield, during the evening hours of April 12, 2024, with the authorities of the station alleging that the inmate committed suicide by hanging himself, even though the cell hosted over five other inmates.
The suicide news has not been welcomed by the family of the deceased, as the father, Sammy Wreyou, has on many occasions accused one of the Commissioners at the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR), Mohammed Fahnbulleh.
In a release issued by the INCHR on Monday, April 22, 2024 and signed by the Chairperson of the Commission, Cllr. T. Dempster Brown, the INCHR said, “The Commission on Monday followed up an incidence that occurred at the Salem Police Station in the Airfield areas involving the death of one Prince Wreyou, believed to be in his 30s. I ordered the Director of Complaints, Monitoring and Investigation (DCIM) to visit the police station. After the visit, I was informed by the director and the team that on Friday, 12 April Prince was taken to the Salem Police Station by Commissioner Mohammed Fahnbulleh, a Commissioner of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR). The Police Commander at the Station, Alfred Sudue, informed the director and team that on 12 April in the afternoon hours Commissioner Fahnbulleh brought to the Police Station Prince Wreyou in the Commission’s vehicle, marked with plate number LB-3609 and inscription GSA-INCHR-02-5. Commissioner Fahnbulleh informed the police that Prince Wreyou received from him US$200 to repair his vehicle but each time he made effort to get to him he couldn’t find him. Prince Wreyou was detained on Friday and on the morning of Saturday, April 13, the Police Commander said that Prince allegedly committed suicide.
“The Director and team also visited the relatives of Prince Wreyou at their 18th Street residence and were able to talk to some family members. The father of the deceased could not be reached physically, rather through phone call. The sibling of the deceased, Edward Wreyou, informed our team that on Friday, April 12, his brother, Prince Wreyou, was apprehended and tortured by one ‘Shine’, a ‘commander’ of a gangster group around the 18 street beach area. He said when Shine and his gangster group apprehended his brother, he was told that Prince had his client’s money and that he would tortures him until the client comes. Accordingly, Prince resisted Shine and his group and the client ordered them to beat and torture him until he the client could come. The client, who was seen in a human rights car, came and picked up Prince. The deceased brother Edward said he attempted to resist his brother from being carried but he could not. He explained that his brother was taken to the police station by the client in the human rights car. On the same Friday he went to the station to see his brother and he promised that he would get in touch with their family, including their elderly brother, Kelvin Wreyou, in Paynesville, to pay the money. He explained that they appealed to the client, who was later identified as Commissioner Fahnbulleh from the human rights commission, to make a schedule for the payment but Commissioner Fahnbulleh refused to listen to them.
“On Saturday, April 13, he explained that when he visited the police station in the morning hours he was surprised to learn from the police that his brother had committed suicide. He said when he visited his brother on Friday, 12 April he did not see any sign of sadness because they have agreed to look for the money. Besides, he said on Friday when he last saw his brother in the Police Cell, he didn’t see him wearing clothes, and so he was surprised that his brother took shirt to commit suicide, as explained by the police. The deceased’s brother said none of the family member has seen the body since he allegedly committed suicide. He said when he reached the police station around 7 to 8 in the morning of 13 April he did not see his brother hanging up in the cell.”
Meanwhile, the Commission has called on the Ministry of Justice to promptly investigate the matter from the inception to the circumstances that resulted to the death of Prince Wreyou, and to call to questioning all the actors involved from the arrest, detention and subsequent death of the Prince Wreyou.
The Commission said it will partner with civil society groups to monitor the investigation until the final conclusion is made to the case.