Monrovia — FrontPageAfrica has been reliably informed that the Government of South Korea is yet to officially respond to the Government of Liberia’s inquiry about two of its officials who were arrested by South Korean police on allegations of joint rape.
According to a top source who spoke to FPA based on anonymity, there hasn’t been any response from the top Korean government. The source said that even when the Liberian government representative visited Korea to ascertain the facts and circumstances surrounding the officials’ arrests, the Representative was made to meet a municipal authority of the city where the alleged rape occurred.
Henry Karmo
“They have not responded to us officially. The matter is a tall order. They have never responded to us officially on the records,” the source said.
FrontPageAfrica has also been informed that the government is trying to use diplomatic channels to deport the two Liberians. “Nothing is happening. When the second secretary was only able to meet the municipal authority and not those at the higher authority.”
About the case
In October of this year, two Liberian Maritime Program officials were arrested by the police in the South Korean City of Busan, and were formally charged with the crime of “two-person joint rape.”
The officials — Moses Owen Browne, Liberia’s Permanent Representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in the UK — and Daniel Tarr, Director of the Department of Marine Environmental Protection at the LiMA, were arrested on the night of September 22, by Police in the South Korean City of Busan and detained.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, D. Maxwell Kemayan in a communication noted that the two officials, contrary to previous information have been to a different facility and not the Busan District Prosecutor’s Office which is about one hour drive from where they had been held previously.
The communication noted that no information was supplied as to the name nor location of the new facility to which they have been taken; and no notice yet, as to the date of trial.
The First Secretary or Consul from the Mission, Ms. Alade, who was commissioned to go to Busan met with both officials and authorities of the Busan Police; and after obtaining an understanding of the situation, filed several observations.
Ms. Alade recounted that the sexual interaction between Mr. Browne and Mr. Tarr, and the two Korean ladies on the night of September 22, is not in dispute, since both accused have confirmed their interaction with women.
Browne reportedly insisted that he has immunity under international Law, considering his status as an official of the Government of Liberia, with a valid diplomatic passport and a visa duly issued by the Government of the Republic of Korea.
“He is of the hope that the GOL will make the proper representation to the Government of the Republic of Korea,” She deciphered.
Alade further maintained that Mr. Tarr on the other hand, considering that he is not holding a Diplomatic Passport, but rather an Official Passport with a proper Visa issued by the Government of Korea, responded to the Police interrogation.
“I was not privileged to know what he may have explained. As with Mr. Browne, Mr. Tarr is expecting that the GOL will make the proper representation to the Government of Korea which would lead to their release and return to Monrovia,” she claimed.