Ex-Liberian Official Sentenced to Die for Ritual Murder
A military court Friday sentenced Liberia’s former defense minister to death for ordering the ritual murder of a policeman so his blood could be used in an attempted coup against President Samuel K. Doe.
Doe must approve the sentence against Maj. Gen. Gray Allison, which would be carried out by firing squad.
Maj. Gen. Kpenkrah Konah, chairman of the court-martial board, told Allison: “The court in closed session and upon secret ballot, has found you guilty of the charge of murder.”
Allison had been defense minister of this West African nation since 1982, two years after a coup put Doe in power, but Doe dismissed him in July after he was charged in the March 31 ritual murder of patrolman Melvin Pyne.
Prosecution witnesses said Allison paid for the killing, Pyne’s body was decapitated and Allison planned to use the policeman’s blood in a ritual intended to help him overthrow Doe.
The general’s wife, Angeline, and seven other people are to be tried by a civilian court in connection with the slaying.
Allison denied involvement in the killing and, on Thursday, asked Doe to spare him. He said that police fabricated the charges and coached the prosecution witnesses to lie.
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