Liberian looters executed

Press, 19 April 1980, Page 8

Liberian looters executed

NZPA Monrovia, Liberia Three soldiers and a civilian were publicly executed by a firing squad on a beach outside an army base in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, yesterday after a courtmartial convicted them of looting. Master Sergeant Samuel Do, the new Head of State who led a coup last Saturday that toppled the regime of President William Tolbert, said the four were shot “as an example to show that we mean business.” Thousands of Liberians witnessed the execution. Many shouted “power to the people.” They later filed past the bodies slumped from the stakes to which they were tied. The State-run Radio Monrovia announced that the executions were a warning that Liberia’s new military regime will not tolerate “antfcrevolutionary acts” by civilians or members of the armed forces. Sergeant . Do personally led the squad of 20 enlisted

. men that stormed into Mr ■ Tolbert’s executive mansion I early on Saturday, assassii nated the President, and proi claimed itself ■ the ruling National Redemption Council ■ of Africa’s oldest republic. Sergeant Do told a news conference that the civilian I who was executed, Charles i Flomo, was a houseboy, for • President Tolbert’s son. A, • B. Tolbert, a member of the , defunct House of Represen- ; tatives who is being hunted : by the new regime. Meanwhile, life has vir- ; tually returned to normal in Monrovia. ► Most officials below the I rank of Minister were back [at work, while ships, i schools, banks, and munici-pal-services were operating. Liberia’s airports wefe to i have reopened today, but. : most airlines delayed resumption of scheduled flights for technical reasons or because of the continuing dusk-to-dawn curfew. Officials in Monrovia said the West African nation’s seaports had reopened.