Visitation disrupts Police functions

-police boss

December 23,2009

The Inspector General of the Liberia National Police (LNP) Marc Amblard said the constant visitation by journalists to police cells around the country disrupts the daily functioning of the police.
“There is nothing we get to hide at various police cells, but we can not allow journalists to visit police cells every other day because it disrupts normal working of the police,” he said.
He urged the journalists to group themselves and communicate with the police in order to be allowed to adequately cover the activities of the LNP.
Mr. Amblard assertion was in response to a question posed to him as to why the police was denying journalists from visiting police cells around the country.
Liberian Journalists for Human Rights and Good Governance (LJHRGG) was among individuals and groups that have been denied visitation by the police in recent times.
The LJHRGG had earlier asked the permission to visit various police cell and detentions centers, but was denied.
According to the communication, the objectives of the visitation were amongst other things, intended to get clearer picture of the condition of these holding cells/detention centers.
There have allegation of series of rights violation and abuses at various police holding cells and the Monrovia Central Prison.
The Justice Ministry recently declared that anyone including journalists wanting to visit the Monrovia Central Prison should bear responsibility of their own security and safety.