Source: New Dawn
Authorities of the Liberia National Police (LNP) have strongly blasted junior officer Rufus Kortee assigned in Saniquillie, Nimba County, for speaking with the media over a reported rape matter linking three personnel of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU).

Speaking to this paper on Thursday, May 16, 2013, Police Spokesman Sam Collins said no other officer has the authority to speak for the LNP without being instructed by Police Director Chris Massaquoi, as he (Sam Collins) was clothed with the authority to speak.

Collins' reaction comes amidst report by The NewDawn that three ERU Officers of the LNP gang raped a lady on the Yekepa- Sanniquellie Highway on 4 April 2013, while giving the alleged victim a lift. In the story, this paper quoted a senior officer at the Sanniquellie Police Station Rufus Kortee, who denied the act, claiming that the victim was abnormal and lying.

Officer Kortee confirmed that the accused officers had given lift to the victim in question, but she allegedly stole a cell phone belonging to one of the ERU Officers Harvey Swen, and went on the run for days.

But in reaction yesterday, Police Spokesman Sam Collins maintained that given the tough police duty manual, none of their officers would dream of raping anyone, as such officer would be dealt with drastically in line with the manual.

Sam denied the story linking the ERU officers, arguing that despite the involvement of NGOs, Civil Society Organizations, UNPOL, Equip Liberia as well as the Gender Ministry Coordinator in Nimba County to probe the incident, there has been no report of rape as claimed by the victim.

Sam told this paper that the officers in question had given the lady and others lift, but later stopped on the highway based on her request that she wanted to get down. While getting down from the car, Sam narrated that the 23-year-old lady stole an ERU Operational Phone and escaped.

He however said on April 8, the lady was arrested in Yekepa and charged for theft after being probed. It was during police probe that Sam said, the lady alleged to have been sexually harassed by the officers.

But he said the lady's family came and pleaded with the police for her release on grounds that she had mental problem. He said when the police turned the lady over to her family; she then fled to Sanniquellie where she claimed to have been raped.

Notwithstanding, this paper had contacted all relevant authorities including the Gender Ministry's Child Welfare Officer in Nimba, Brown W. Duomentor who said the ERU officers, heavily armed, committed the act on April 4.

• Liberia