Liberia: Nimba Courts Accused Of Extorting Complainants For Transportation Fees

Magisterial Courts in Nimba County, Liberia, have been accused of asking complainants for money to cover transportation costs.

According to New Dawn, the courts allegedly demand between 40,000  to 50,000 Liberian Dollars from people seeking justice.

Some of the complainants, including victims of rape and murder, are required to pay these large sums to transport suspects and court workers who usually use commercial motorbikes to travel between various districts to arrest suspects.

Many complainants said they gave up on seeking justice, allowing perpetrators to go unpunished, because they could not afford the fees.

Habakkuk Gono, the City Solicitor at the Gompa Magisterial Court, confirmed to the New Dawn that money is collected from victims to transport suspects to Sanniquellie. He blamed the government for not providing funds to support the work of county and city solicitors.

Gono clarified that the court only asks families of crime victims for help with transportation, but it is not mandatory.

He also said since he took office four years ago, the government has not provided funding for court officers to carry out arrests, so they have had to ask complainants for financial assistance.

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