The families of convicted Liberian officials, Moses Owen Brown and Daniel Tarr are pleading with the South Korean government to allow their sons serve their respective 9-year sentences on sexual assault charges in Liberia.
The families have asked the Liberian government to appeal to the South Korean government to allow Moses and Daniel to serve their time in Liberia, so their families in order for them to have easy access for visiting them.
The two officials of the Liberia Maritime Authority who were held for sexual abuse in Korea were found guilty of sexual assault and sentenced to nine years each. They were sentenced on Wednesday at the scheduled Verdict Hearing in the Court in Busan, Korea.
Meanwhile, the Government of Liberia, through the Liberia Maritime Authority (LMA), has instructed its legal representation in Korea, Pureum Law Office, to provide it with the various appeal options available to a criminal defendant under Korean laws. Notwithstanding, any appeal from such a verdict has to be exercised no later than seven days following the rendition of the judgment.
According to the LMA, the Government of Liberia intends to facilitate the visit to Busan, Korea, of at least one member of each family to ensure that contact between Brown and Tarr and their respective families is maintained in the aftermath of the sentence.
On Thursday, the families gathered at the home of President George Manneh Weah on 10th Street, seeking an audience with him. When officers of the Liberia National Police Unit saw the crowd, they dispersed them. Some were taken to the police station.
“I am here because since seven months my son Moses and his friend got into problems in South Korea, we can’t hear from them,” said Madam Soniyeah, mother of Moses. “Maritime people can call us telling us that the government is taking care and they are in charge of the case. Now, we heard that they are going to jail for nine years, but they gave them seven days to appeal. We got afraid and came together to appeal to the president to intervene so our sons can come to Liberia and go to jail,” she told Front Page Africa.
Madam Soniyeah said President Weah can use diplomatic channels to get the South Korean government to allow their sons to serve their sentence in Liberia.
She added that her son, Moses is her only breadwinner and since he was detained along with Daniel Tarr, another official from the Liberia Maritime Authority her support has stopped for the past seven months now.
Under South Korean Law, The Act on the International Transfer of Sentenced Inmates according to Chapter I of General Provisions Chapter 3 states: “The term ‘outgoing transfer’ means any transfer from the Republic of Korea to a foreign country of a foreigner who is serving a sentence of imprisonment.”
The international transfer of sentenced persons shall be only effected based on and in accordance with this Act and a treaty, if any, which is concluded between the Republic of Korea and a foreign country. In such cases, if a treaty includes any provisions inconsistent with this Act, the provisions of the treaty shall prevail.
Article 4 (Receipt and Transmission of Documents, etc. Related to International Transfer of Sentenced Persons):
(1) The Minister of Foreign Affairs has the authority to receive from foreign countries or to transmit to foreign countries documents or notifications associated with requests, approval, etc. for the international transfer of sentenced persons. Provided that in emergency or extraordinary circumstances, the Minister of Justice may exercise such authority with the consent of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
(2) The Minister of Foreign Affairs shall transmit to the Minister of Justice documents or notifications associated with the international transfer of sentenced persons that he/she receives from foreign countries.
South Korea has poor record of treating prisoners causing some of them to contract diseases. The Korean authority was also accused by Amnesty International of chaining and manhandling of inmates.
