"Resign Now Or Else…!" Criminal Justice Students Threaten Police Boss

The Association of Criminal Justice Students at the African Methodist Episcopal Zion University (AMEZU) is calling for the immediate removal from office the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police, Col. Chris Massaquoi, for conspiracy against the state and the President in aiding U. S. Flight Major Ellen Corkrum and her fiancé Melvin Johnson to abscond Liberia.

The Criminal Justice Students, who also urged President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to dismiss the police boss on his failure to resign from the job, vow to pursue court action intended to remove Inspector General Massaquoi from office if he does not voluntarily resigned or be removed from office by the President. A spokesman of the group, Daniel Sando, told Radio VERITAS’ early Morning Show Tuesday that the police director conspired against the State and the President of Liberia when he facilitated the escape of Corkrum and fiancé from Liberia at the time the Government had planned to arrest her on corruption charges.

Reports have indicated that Mr. Massaquoi had a hand in the escape from Liberia of Corkrum, the former managing director of the Liberia Airport Authority, and her fiancé, Johnson and attorney at law in the United States.

. The pair reportedly fled the country via road apparently on ground that airport authorities had been alerted not to let them leave the country. Although the Inspector General Massaquoi was said to have been absent from office when the LNP was contacted Tuesday, Massaquoi is reportedly heard on tape telling the Corkrum and Johnson that instructions from higher ups have put in motion all stops to prevent them from leaving the country. Commenting on the reported role of the police boss, the AMEZU students say the latest fact linking the Police Inspector General speaks to the fact that the police chief should no longer enjoy the President’s confidence for conspiring against Madam President and the Liberian people. Mr. Sando, speaking for the students further, promised to pursue Mr. Massaquoi in court to be made to leave the office he presently holds. Madam Corkrum’s name was first linked to financial misappropriation at the airport when the she, was accused by her employer-the Government of Liberia- of attempting to defraud the state of nearly a quarter million United States dollars leading to her dismissal by President Sirleaf and a subsequent indictment issued against her. "On December 4, 2012, the LAA through its MD Corkrum submitted two requests to the Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC) for "no objection" to single source SSF Entrepreneur INC and Diaspora Consulting LLC for the rehabilitation of the RIA's runway and other pavements in the combined amount of US$1,283,333.00 proposed for SSF Entrepreneurs Inc. and US$ 255,000.00 proposed for Diaspora Consulting LLC," according to the indicted as reported in Monrovia. Diaspora Consulting belongs to Corkrum's darling, Judge Melvin Johnson, who aided her to record some officials of the Liberian government now victim of controversy arising from strings of scandalous recordings. Apparently Corkrum in an attempt to clear her name started to secretly tape her perceived enemies and allies alike. But recordings so far show the opposite; 'she only taped her friends'. The US$500,000 Allegations Corkrum, who is the former Managing Director of the Liberia Airport Authority, escaped Liberia in the wake of allegations of stealing about US$500,000. But she averred that she refused to sign key financial documents when she was supposedly requested to do so by the then Chairman of the Board of Directors of the LAA, Musa Bility. She explained that the allegations that she stole about US$500,000 from the account of the RIA at the LBDI are intended to extradite her from the United States of America where she currently resides, and denied claims that she received an indictment from the Liberian government. Madam Corkrum asserted that she has not been served any indictment papers by anyone, saying "I only had access to the indictment online." According to her, she has already presented her case to the US State Department and the Department of Justice, providing a meticulous account of activities at the RIA, claiming that she executed her assigned task in keeping with authorization per Executive Order from the President of Liberia. In Count One of the indictment, the Co-defendants Corkrum and Bility as signatories to the LAA [entered] Private Prosecutrix's account # 005 USD 21235003306 maintained with the Liberian Bank for Development & Investment (LBDI), did "criminally conspire" with Co-defendants Diaspora Consulting LCC represented by Momar Dieng, and the LBDI and defrauded the said Private Prosecutrix by making unauthorized transfer of funds aggregating USD 269,000.00(United States Dollars Two Hundred Sixty Nine Thousand) from the accounts of the LAA, Private Prosecutrix through the LBDI on diverse occasions to the accounts of Co-defendant Diaspora Consulting, LLC at Bank of America for services which were never rendered by the said Co-defendant Diaspora Consulting Engineering. Principally, Madam Corkrum is charged with illegally wiring US$269, 000 to Disapora, without authorization for services not rendered. Specially, it is alleged that US$125,000 was accordingly transferred on 12/10/12 [dd-mm-yy] and again on 12/13/12[dd-mm-yy], while another US$19,000 was transferred on 12/18/12[dd-mm-yy] (for total of US$269,000). But in response, she said Disapora did render the services, and US$125,000 was never transferred on the 12/10/12[dd-mm-yy] as the same was returned unsuccessful. She further said that consequently, only US$125,000 was transferred on 12/13/12 [dd-mm-yy] and US$19,000 on 12/18/12[dd-mm-yy] (for an actual total of US$144,000). In an email from Corkrum to Bility dated, Monday December 10, 2012 at 9:23 Am, the former LAA boss praised the Diaspora Consultant engineers for rendering services beyond their scope of work, contrary to the indictment. She added that these included support to both RIA technical departments, including internal coordination, reporting and management/ assessment, etc. Meanwhile, the Liberian government formally announced an indictment of Corkrum and her fiancé in August, accusing the pair with the crime of Economic Sabotage, Theft of Property, criminal conspiracy and misapplication of entrusted property. Corkrum was indicted along with LAA Board Chair, Musa Bility, Diaspora Consulting LLC thru Moamar Dieng. The indictment alleged that the accused conspired to and did do and commit the crime of economic Sabotage in flagrant violation of Chapter 15, sub-chapter "F", section 15.81(a)(b)(c),Misapplication of Entrusted Property in violation of Chapter 15, sub-chapter "D", sections 15.56; Theft of Property in violation of Chapter 15, sub-chapter "D", section 15.51 (a)(c); Criminal Conspiracy in violation of Chapter 10, sub-chapter "D" section 10.4 (1)(2)(3)(4) of the penal code of Liberia; Bill Jarkloh Contributed this story.