Africa-Press – Liberia. The deceased Sheriff’s son noted that he appealed to the magistrate (pictured above) to pardon his father who was sick to complete his treatment but he refused.
Monrovia-Alleged harsh punishment executed by the Liberia National Police against a Sheriff of Clay Ashland Magisterial Court Head Magistrate, Cllr. Augustin S. Togbah has reportedly resulted in the death of a Sheriff, Andrew Hills.
FrontPageAfrica was informed by Abenego Hills, the son of the late Sheriff that his father has been battling illness for some time, and a deep wound he sustained recently, compelled the family to take him for medical treatment between May 28-and 29.
However, according to the deceased’s son, upon the return of his father from a clinic in the area on Thursday, May 30, a day after his treatment, before going to inform the court of his unhealthy condition, Magistrate Togbah allegedly ordered his Associate Magistrate Benetta Y.Gedeo of the same Clay Ashland magisterial court to send his father, sheriff Andrew Hills to jail at zone#6 Police Cell on rationale of not reporting to work and receiving money to execute Court function but failed to do so.
The deceased Sheriff’s son further noted that this decision was further reechoed by Magistrate Togbah, when he, (son of the deceased), went to appeal to the Magistrate that his father was sick and needed to complete his treatment properly.
He bemoaned that such a decision from Magistrate Togbah was harsh since he could not pity the condition of his father who was still undergoing treatment for the deep injury sustained on his foot due to a cutlass accident.
Hills said the arrest was made just when he and his deceased father were on their way from the clinic.
However, he said Judge Togbah remained adamant, not to pardon his father on the condition of being ill, but maintained that the sheriff had not reported to work for some time and was given LD$800 to arrest someone and since then he has not, for which he was ordered arrested and incarcerated.
“I also pleaded with Judge Benetta Y. Gedeo that my father was not well and needed to go rest home for a few days to recover but she didn’t listen,” Hills said.
“Our family made efforts on Friday and Saturday to get my father released from the police cell, but the court refused.”
The son further narrated that the family was surprisingly called from the JFK Hospital and informed by police authority from Zone 6 Depot in Clay Ashland early Sunday morning that their Father, Sheriff Andrew Hills of Clay Ashland magisterial court was dead and his body was at JFK Hospital.
“Our family met Sunday evening and decided to go to the court this morning to ask what killed our father, but the Head Magistrate Cllr. Augustine Togbah said he is in a meeting with the Chief Justice this morning, June 3, and will not be at the court, so our family should go to the hospital to get the body,” he added.
The family has expressed dismay and is demanding further explanation into the death of their father since the Magistrate allegedly refused to release him to recover from illness until his death news was surprisingly given to them.
They are also demanding an investigation into why their father was taken to the hospital by the police, without the consent of the family who may know the medical history of the deceased, if he died at the hospital.
He noted that those who took him to the hospital did not know his medical history and what treatment may be good or not good for him, which needs a thorough investigation.
“I want to know from the court what led to our late father’s death and why he was taken to the hospital without our consent,” the deceased son maintained.
The son noted that since the death of his father, court officials continue to persuade and intimidate family members to go and remove the body of Andrew Hills from JFK hospital without a further investigation into the matter.
The family said the situation is disturbing for them and are demanding justice for their late father, who may have died due to starvation and lack of treatment from his unhealthy condition in detention.
However, FrontPageAfrica contacted the Communication Office of the Judiciary on Monday, June 3, on the matter, but was told that the information is unknown to that office.
Paypay Mulbah, Communication Officer at the Judiciary, told FrontPageAfrica: “My boss, Cllr. Dyrl Ambrose Nmah said he has not received that information and cannot speak to it right now.”
Liberia National Police Spokesperson, Cecelia G. Clarke did not pick up a call from the FPA Judicial Reporter, and did not also respond to a text message sent to her, concerning the matter.
However, when contacted, Magistrate Augustine S. Togbah informed FrontPageAfrica that the information given by the son of the deceased is untrue and that he was never involved, shifting blame to his Associate Magistrate, Bennett Y. Gedeo, who he said had an issue with the deceased.
He said contrary to information that he requested the late Sheriff Hills to perform a task, it was his Associate Magistrate who ordered the deceased and requested the complainant to give him LD$800 (Eight Hundred Liberian Dollars) as transport fare to issue a citation.
Nevertheless, Magistrate Togbah noted that it was alleged that the deceased drank an alcoholic beverage with the amount and had been hidden since the beginning of April, upon which a clerk of the court was sent to search for him.
The Magistrate related that at the time the Sheriff was seen, he came to the court along with a young fellow who was never introduced as his son, on Wednesday, May 29, and did not appear sick.
As a result, Magistrate Togbah noted that he decided to send Sheriff Hills, who is deceased, to the Monrovia Central Prison, but the Associate Magistrate wished that he be sent to the Zone 6 Depot in the area, a request he accepted.
He maintained that surprisingly, on Sunday, June 2, while getting ready for church service, authority at the Zone 6 Police Depot called to inform him that they were taking the Sheriff to the hospital. He however did not respond to inquiries on why the family of the deceased was not informed when he was being taken to the JFK Hospital, even when Magistrate Togbah was informed.
Magistrate Togbah said the family just wanted to frame the situation to get him associated.
At the same time, Magistrate Togbah said all the family needs to do is, get the death certificate of the fallen Sheriff and communicate with the court, upon which the court will proceed with other procedures.
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