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Monrovia – The Liberia National Police (LNP) has handed down multiple charges against the elderly lawyer, Cllr. Charles Abdullai, accused of threatening to kill a Liberian journalist, Mrs. Bettie Johnson-Mbayo.
The police on Wednesday charged Cllr. Abdullai with “Menacing and Terroristic threat”, and he will be arraigned in court early today, PUNCH online service has reliably learned.
PUNCH online service reported last week that the LNP had commenced investigating Cllr. Abdulllearnedo allegedly threw death threat at journalist Johnson-Mbayo, and also threatened to kidnap one of her three children.
We had earlier reported that the husband of the Liberian journalist, who works for Frontpage Africa newspaper, had alarmed that he was deeply concerned over death threat reportedly hauled at his wife by Cllr. Abdullai.
Frontpage reported recently that journalist Johnson-Mbayo now feels insecure; fearing for her life and the lives of her children, having received death threat allegedly from Cllr. Abdullai.
The paper quoting Madam Johnson-Mbayo reported that she received two cellular phone calls from separate telephone numbers, 0881790190 and0777 519 212, firstly asking if it was Bettie of FrontPage Africa, and when the reporter answered in the affirmative, the caller was later heard saying, “If you don’t stop writing on my client, you will be assassinated from now to September 15.”
In the second phone call a few minutes later, according to the newspaper, the journalist received another call, allegedly from Cllr. Abdullai who warned that if she fails to slow down her reportage on his client, one of her children would be kidnapped.
FrontPageAfrica further reports that it later traced the last cell phone number used to threatened its employee to Cllr. Charles Abdullai, and when contacted by the management of the news outlet, the lawyer admitted calling journalist Johnson-Mbayo and uttering threats but claimed he was only hauling a prank at her.
“But our reporter insists she and Cllr. Abdullai have never engaged in such a joke, and that she finds it awkward that he would choose to joke with her in such a manner,” Frontpage Africa reported.
Frontpage Africa which says it does not take lightly issues of threat against any of its staff, filed an official complaint with police regarding the lawyer’s alleged death and kidnap threats, and the Liberia National Police (LNP) has informed the paper that it (LNP) has begun probing the matter, PUNCH has reliably learned.
Meanwhile, Cllr. Abdullai and journalist Johnson-Mbayo are to meet in court today.
