President Boakai Receives Special Investigative Report of January 30, 2024, on the UMU Commencement Incident

Executive Mansion, Monrovia - H.E President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has received the Special Investigative Report on the security breach that occurred during the Commencement Convocation of the United Methodist University (UMU).

The incident had impugned the reliability of state security, particularly the Executive Protection Service (EPS).

The report was presented by the Special Investigative Team (SIT), which conducted a thorough investigation into the incident. The investigative team included representatives from the Liberian National Police (LNP), the Armed Forces of Liberia and the Executive Protection Service.

The Team established that the unauthorized person later identified as Sam D. Kanwea, Jr., did not intend to harm the President despite his surreptitious penetration of the presidential security and the physical touching of the President.

The Report recommended that the individual be charged in violation of sections 14.22 (Offensive Touching) and 14.23 (Reckless Endangerment of another Person) of the Penal Law of Liberia.

Moreover, the Report indicated that the failure of the EPS Agents to ensure proper security to avoid such invasion is a violation of the EPS Duty Manual and the Standard Operating Procedure governing the service.

The Report further recommended administrative actions against the Agents assigned and the continuation of in-service training to ensure enhanced operational capacity and readiness to always provide advance security service.

The Director of the EPS, Mr. Sam Gaye, has taken full responsibility of the situation and promised elevated measures to avoid any future security breach as well as the implementation of the recommendations of the Report.

The President expressed his gratitude to the Team for the Report, which includes findings and recommendations aimed at preventing such an event from happening in the future. He also promised to review the Report and consider the recommendations.