Liberian Lawmaker in Police Custody Over Statutory Rape of Girl, 13

Heavily guarded by armed men behind closed door, disgraced Grand Gedeh lawmaker, Morais Waylee waited for more than five hours, waiting for journalists who have trooped the Liberia National Police Headquarters to leave before coming out.

Monrovia – Heavily guarded by armed men behind closed door, disgraced Grand Gedeh lawmaker, Morais Waylee waited for more than five hours, waiting for journalists who have trooped the Liberia National Police Headquarters to leave before coming out.

Report by Lennart Dodoo, ldodoo@frontpageafricaonline.com and Bettie Johnson-Mbayo, bettie.johnson@frontpageafricaonline.com

He has been at the center stage of an ongoing investigation into an alleged rape involving a 13-year-old, 4th grade girl – his niece.

The rape resulted in pregnancy.

Rep. Waylee has constantly denied the crime and knowing the survivor.

However, Police investigation has unearthed that the girl was a ward of the lawmaker.

Police have charged him with criminal conspiracy, tampering with a criminal investigation and tampering with witnesses.

He was taken to the crime laboratory where his finger prints were scanned before he was taken to one of the offices at the headquarters where he remained for more than six hours.

“We have officially charged Hon. Waylee because we found out that Suspect Waylee and his wife, Williette Waylee, know ***** [the survivor] but denied ever seeing both her and Saydee Barway who is the uncle of the girl.

Police investigators discovered that Saydee is a driver of suspect Waylee and he and his wife denied knowing Saydee Barway,” Col. Coleman added.

According to him, “There are elements that we need to charge him for rape but until we have all of the evidence we can’t charge him for rape.

He denied knowing the victim, but the investigation has discovered that the victim lived with him and his wife.”

The Police Inspector General noted that the survivor is currently considered missing.

“We have spoken with neighbors and they have decided to testify until she can be found, this all we can say.”

“We were able to find the school and the time she lived with him; we are concern that a teenager is missing and we haven’t heard from the victim neither her family, she is a key to the investigation.” 

Some members of the House of Representatives including Rep. George Mulbah(District No. 3, Bong County); Rep. Zoe Pennue(District No. 1, Grand Gedeh) and Togba Mulbah (District No. 5, Bong County) were seen parading the corridors of the Police Headquarters, going in and out of the guarded room in which Waylee was held.

It is not clear what their presence at the LNP Headquarters was about.

Up to press time Thursday evening, FrontPageAfrica was unable to ascertain whether Rep. Waylee was released to his lawyers or held in Police detention.

In May, FrontPageAfrica upon a visit to Grand Gedeh County in search of the survivor discovered that she had been taken to a village in Konobo District.

This paper reported that she barred from speaking to strangers and residents of the District have also been threatened by local authorities not to speak to any stranger concerning the case.

The girl was taken to the Sande Bush reportedly by her mother upon realizing she had spoken to our reporter.

On Wednesday, Sexual and Gender Based Violence investigators saidy they had to flee Konobo after they were informed by county authorities that they needed the blessings of traditional leaders before continuing with the alleged rape investigation in the county.

According to the Director of Sexual Gender Based Violence crimes unit Cllr. John Gabriel, they had gone to Konobo to ascertain the true location of the victim and her state of being.

He told journalists in Monrovia that it has been difficult gathering information in the case as many residents in the county remain tight-lipped.

“He told me that anyone who goes Konobo without his blessing will be at their own risk,” he stated.

Cllr. Gabriel revealed that the state has seen a crime against the 13 year old victim and is expected to bring the suspect to justice.

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