Paynesville– Police in Paynesville have arrested seven-person in connection to brutality meted against two employees of the Paynesville City Corporation (PCC) Waste Management Department after the staff had gone to confront them for illegally disposing of waste as a site, just clean by the city government.
They were attacked on Wednesday, August 18, at the Kende Town Community along the RIA Highway, brutalized, there leading them to sustain severe wounds on their heads and other body parts.
According to eyewitnesses on the scene, the PCC Waste Management Staffs were three, but Aminata Konneh and Emmanuel Dahn have attempted to stop a fellow, which resulted in the fellow resisting by allegedly hitting them with a shovel in had.
A few minutes later the “lawless fellow” was later joined by others residents, who according to the Paynesville City Corporation, overpowered the Waste Management Staff and wounded two of the three who were on the scene.
“While conducting their normal garbage collection along the RIA route, Aminata Konneh and Emmanuel Dahn encountered a man who is yet to be identified dumping waste at an illegal dumping site that was just cleaned. In the process, Aminata confronted the man and asked why he was dumping garbage at an illegal dumpsite; especially the site was just cleaned by the PCC team a few minutes ago and the man without any justifiable reason started fighting the PCC employees and was later joined by others from the community in the fight,” PCC Director of Press Jeremiah Diggen told Freedom News Thursday, August 19.
Some eyewitnesses who were on the scene of the incident on Wednesday also confirmed to Freedom News that the two were beaten with shovels and sticks that had nails attached, which resulted in severe bodily wounds on them.
“The beating and subsequent injuries of our employees undermines the effort to clean garbage in the City,” Diggen stressed.
Digger further empathized with those affected and stressed that the City Government of Paynesville has described it as frustrating and dangerous that some individuals will choose to circumvent the cleanliness of their community that is being made unhygienic by them.
Those arrested by the Paynesville City Police in connection to the incident, following a preliminary investigation, have been turned over to the Liberia National Police for further investigation, before being sent to court.
The perpetrators, Tonny Moses, Alfred Tokpah, Patrick Scott, and Alex Dah-yah were arrested and charged for aggravated assault, while Kemah Weah, Samuel T. Smith, and Bendu Smith were arrested for obstruction of the city management functions.
The situation occurred few weeks after the Paynesville City Corporation warned residents of the city against illegal garbage disposal, during the clearing of a huge stockpile of garbage at the Gobarchev Community.
During that exercise, Diggen started that unless the mindset of residents is positive towards ensuring a clean environment, the issues of waste management will always pose a challenge to the city.
The Paynesville City Communication Director further used the medium to encourage residents against illegals garbage disposal, adding that those found culpable will be fined or face prosecution.
