BUCHANAN, Nov. 25 (LINA) – After weeks of public bashing, the Buchanan Prison Superintendent, Victor Logan, has been suspended for time indefinite for allegedly ordering the flogging of a female inmate, Esther Ben, at the Upper Buchanan Prison Compound.
While undergoing suspension, Logan is being investigated by the Corrections Division of the Ministry of Justice.
Speaking to journalists at the St. Peter’s Catholic Health Center in Buchanan recently 30-year- old Esther accused Logan of ordering two female Corrections officers to beat her with a rubber whip.
Esther was incarcerated upon the orders of the Buchanan Magisterial Court on charges of Aggravated Assault against the fiancée of her boyfriend.
This, Esther claimed, angered the Prison Superintendent who ordered additional punishment for her.
“When I got to the prison compound along with the court officer who carried me, the lady at the door asked me about the fighting; thereafter the big man said they should beat me well because I broke teeth from someone’s mouth,” Esther explained to the press.
In a separate interview with reporters, Bioshop Mongai Grigsby of the Light House Ministry and a relative of the victim, revealed that Logan claimed during a meeting with the victim’s family a week ago that he was insulted by suspect Esther when he asked her questions relative to her incarceration.
When contacted by LINA, Logan, elected to remain tight-lipped on the issue that occurred at his area of supervision, saying his mother was facing health problems.
He later referred the media to the County Attorney, Patto Jarbah; but Cllr. Jarbah was absent from the county at the time the incident occurred.
After being flogged, the woman was transported to a medical facility and was diagnosed of severe pain and bleeding; a condition that caused her stay at the facility for days.
Even though Logan has not openly admitted before the Court, but Bishop Grigsby confirmed to the Liberia News Agency (LINA) that Superintendent Logan paid the hospital bll of L$20,100 after days of medication; a commitment he made during a conference between him and Esther’s family.
According to family sources; since the payment, Mr. Logan has been appealing to them to amicably settle the matter at home, an appeal that has not been granted.
Logan has served as head of Grand Bassa County’s biggest prison facility for more than ten years since the administration of the former Bassa Superintendents Robert Vonyegar and Julia Duncan Cassell.
A credible Justice Ministry source told LINA that Major Tom Kamala has been appointed as the acting Superintendent of the Buchanan Central Prison pending the outcome of the investigation.
In another development, three Correction Officers of the Buchanan Central Prison are undergoing investigation at the Buchanan Magisterial Court for illegally releasing a drug suspect, Charles Edward, from detention.
Edward, a Nigerian national, was detained in September 2019 on multiple charges by the 2nd Judicial Circuit Court; ranging from illegal possession and unlicensed sale and distribution of narcotic substances.
The night shift Commander, William Toe, and others, whose names are undisclosed, allegedly released the suspect who during the early morning hours on an alleged US$17,000 and L$1million deal.
A source informed LINA that Correction officer William told his two colleagues who were on duty with him that he brought suspect Edward out in the upper Buchanan prison compound to walk around during the early hours of the morning; an information that accordingly relax the security officers’ attention on the suspect.
When questioned prior to his suspension, Logan said he was not on duty; therefore he could not provide details regarding the matter until investigation established the facts.
As Toe and his colleagues are being investigated by the Court, the Justice Ministry through the LNP has launched a thorough search for the re-arrest of the suspect.
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