VZCZCXRO6666
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHMV #0087 0280921
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 280921Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY MONROVIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0731
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS MONROVIA 000087 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM LI
SUBJECT: LIBERIA: HOUSE SPEAKER ALLEGEDLY ORDERS BEATING OF FORMER 
LAWMAKER 
 
REF. A: 2008 MONROVIA 466 
REF. B: 2008 MONROVIA 749 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  Former lawmaker in the National Transitional 
Legislative Assembly (NTLA) Prince Toe has accused Speaker of the 
House Alex Tyler of ordering his bodyguards to beat him after Toe's 
pickup nearly collided with a vehicle in Tyler's convoy January 18. 
The Monrovia Magisterial Court issued a writ of arrest against House 
Speaker J. Alex Tyler on January 21, but withdrew it for "procedural 
errors" after Minister of Justice Philip Banks intervened.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) Former lawmaker in the NTLA and representative of former 
warring faction Movement of Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) Prince Toe 
was driving his pickup January 18 and allegedly had a near collision 
with a vehicle in Speaker of the House Alex Tyler's convoy.  Toe 
alleges that Tyler's convoy followed his vehicle through the 
Monrovia suburb of Gardnersville and stopped him at his church.  Toe 
entered into the church for the Sunday service, but says Tyler's 
bodyguards physically pulled him out of the building and took him to 
a local police depot.  Toe contends the bodyguards beat him up 
outside the police station in front of the Speaker and stole two 
kilograms worth of gold, worth $75,000, and LD 5,000 (USD 83) that 
was on him.  Toe alleges he was briefly detained at the station 
after the beating until a local clergyman intervened for his 
release. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Toe reported the case to the Monrovia Magisterial Court and 
Montserrado County Attorney Samuel Jacobs sought an arrest warrant 
for Speaker Tyler for aggravated assault and criminal solicitation 
(premeditated theft).  The warrant, which was hastily issued and did 
not have all of the requisite signatures, was served to Speaker 
Tyler at his Capitol Office.  According to the immunity protection 
Liberian Legislators enjoy, they cannot be served warrants at the 
Capitol or on the way to or from official events.  Therefore, 
Minister of Justice Philip Banks intervened to order the Magisterial 
Court to rescind the arrest warrant. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Speaker Tyler denied he ordered Toe's "flogging" (the term 
used in the Liberian vernacular), but did not attend the regular 
session of the House January 22 because he was busy consulting with 
his lawyers and members of the House Judiciary Committee on the 
case.  Local press covered the case extensively.  Tyler presided 
over the joint session of the Legislature January 26 for President 
Sirleaf's State of the Nation Address. 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT:  If true, this is the latest incident of a high 
official abusing his power though violence (although we wonder why 
Toe was taking two kilograms of gold with him to church).  Other 
instances include Senator Roland Kaine, now on trial for allegedly 
ordering the killing of several youths during a land dispute (Ref 
A).  Senator Nathaniel Innis was accused of beating a young woman in 
June 2008 for making noise in his neighborhood (Ref B).  Chief 
Justice Johnnie N. Lewis angrily ordered the camera of a local 
journalist to be seized for "illegally taking his photograph" during 
an official public appearance in November 2008.  Deputy Minister of 
Public Works Roderick Smith allegedly ordered the beating of General 
Auditing Commission auditor Winsley Nanka in December 2008 after 
Nanka demanded more documents to verify earlier documents the 
Ministry had submitted.  Whether or not all these accounts turn out 
to be accurate, the public at least is responding negatively to this 
perceived abuse of power.  END COMMENT. 
 
THOMAS-GREENFIELD