As the nation marked its 178th Independence Day amid acts of presidential pardon, national healing, reflection and renewal, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai granted executive clemency to 75 inmates across Liberia on Friday, July 25. The official ceremony was held at Monrovia Central Prison in Montserrado County, symbolizing a renewed commitment to justice, rehabilitation, and second chances.
Among the many voices celebrating the clemency, a heartfelt appeal stood out ~ that of Benita Whitney Urey, the daughter of Businessman Benoni W. Urey, Political Leader of the All Liberian Party (ALP). In a passionate public message to President Boakai, Ms. Urey expressed deep gratitude for the pardons granted, while urging the President to turn his attention to what she described as a tragic miscarriage of justice.
“I would like to kindly draw your attention to the tragic case of Mascara Konneh,” Ms. Urey stated. “He has been in prison since 2004 serving a life sentence for a crime he did not commit.”
According to Urey, Konneh was wrongfully convicted in connection to the murder of an American citizen in Mamba Point, a crime widely believed to have been committed by a known criminal, Boye T. Moore. Following the murder, Moore reportedly fled Liberia, while Konneh and several others were arrested merely for their association with Moore.
“There was a bounty on Boye’s head for the murder,” Urey emphasized. “Yet Mascara was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.”
Moore was recently apprehended in Ghana on charges of firearms and drug possession and is currently in custody there. Urey’s appeal to President Boakai calls for a reassessment of Konneh’s case in light of these developments and the longstanding claims of his innocence.
“Since his arrest, he has been a model inmate,” Urey said. “He was arrested when his girlfriend was pregnant and has never even seen his son outside of prison walls. Please step in and do the right thing, Mr. President.”
While the clemency granted was in honor of Independence Day, it also brought relief and hope to many families as Ms. Urey’s appeal highlights that for some: the quest for justice continues. Her call underscores a broader public interest in reviewing possible wrongful convictions within Liberia’s justice system.
As Liberia reflects on its independence and future, the case of Mascara Konneh now awaits the attention and judgment of the nation’s highest office.
