Cummings’ Bodyguard Appears in Court But...

The bodyguard of presidential candidate Alexander B. Cummings has been charged with illegal possession of a firearm by the Liberian National Police and forwarded to Court for prosecution. 

Justin Zigbuo, according to police, was arrested on December 17, with a black pistol marked Jericho 941 PSL, IWI (NSA), during the ‘We Taya Suffering’ rally organized by the Calibrating Political Parties (CPP). The “rally”  was held at the SKD Sports Complex.

He then was charged with the crimes of possession and sale of physical objects for lethal use in violation of Chapter 17 section 17.11 of the revised Penal code of Liberia.

Chapter 17, Section 17.11 States: A person not legally authorized to do so by the military or paramilitary nature of his service has committed a third-degree felony if he is found to be knowingly in possession of or has sold,  transferred, given, or loaned to another any physical object possessed of lethal use, under  circumstances not remotely appropriate to the lawful uses which such physical object may have.

“That during crime scene observation/inspection, it was established that the crime (Possession and Sale of Physical Objects for Lethal Use) did occur, in that, suspect Justin Zigbuo was arrested at the rally on the Sports Sports Complex with one black Jericho pistol,” the police charge sheet noted.

He was later released to his lawyers because the crimes for which he is charged qualified him for bail. According to the police charge sheet, Zigbuo was arrested after the police allegedly received intelligence that the bodyguard to Cummings was in possession of a firearm at the rally.

The Emergency Response Unit (ERU) of the LNP immediately went there and arrested defendant Zigbuo with the firearm.

During the investigation, the documents claimed, Zigbuo, in the presence of his lawyer, exercised his right to remain silent. It was after Zigbuo’s plea of silence, the investigation established that he was allegedly in possession of a firearm at the rally.

Police further claimed that Zigbuo was charged on an eyewitness account. But the whistleblower, who was on the scene and did not want to be named, confirmed that Zigbuo was in possession of a firearm.