AfriKa CRY BLOOD

by Enricco Bohne (www.barbadosadvocate.com)

This was the plea yesterday at the I’Akobi Youth Resource Centre in Tweedside Road as the Justice Committee formed to promote, protect and defend the late Ras Tacuma I’Akobi Maloney’s case, met with various media houses to publicise the status of Maloney’s case.

Tacuma, whose demise at Landlock, St. Lucy on June 17th was met with much controversy, was represented by Committee members KudosSage I (Secretary of the Justice Committee), Brother Heru (Director of I’Akobi Youth Resource Centre and member of the Justice Committee) as well as Ras Lumumba (Priest of Church of Haile Selassie I), and Tacuma’s brother Mandela Maloney.  Also present was the mother of I’Akobi and other Rastafari Elders.

Discussed was the fact that over 5200 petitions have been acquired by the Maloney family in their efforts to attain truth and justice.  These petitions called for an independent investigation to be carried out into the I’Akobi Maloney case as, it is held that “the circumstances surrounding his death are very suspicious and it is hoped that the evidence will surface so that this case can be brought to proper justice”.  The signatures were later vetted by the Justice Committee and were presented to the offices of the Prime Minister and Attorney General on November 5th, 2008.

The petition was prepared by Rastafari Elder Ras Fela in an effort to vindicate the name of I’Akobi Maloney in relation to drug possession.  Ras KudosSage I pointed out that “the first report from the police force, state that the police were responding to a drug landing in the Cove Bay area and somehow that is how they encountered Maloney and things went bad from there”.

Called to speak on the family’s behalf, Mandela Maloney pointed out why we should continue to seek justice in Tacuma’s name.  A visibly shaken Mandela gave an emotional recollection of his brother as an outstanding individual and a person of high moral standing.

He notes that there existed inconsistencies within the reports given, and that his family would like to have some tangible explanation for why this could have occurred.  Mandela called for the truth to be told and “that some form of comfort, some explanation be given as to why there are so many stories out there”, lamenting that “if this is the way justice is conducted, we would like a deep-rooted change to have the system overturned.”

Maloney continued: “I would like to thank those people who have come out and thrown their support behind us in advocating for truth, in running for justice, in having the message brought out; we would like something to really come out of this situation, because it is unreasonable, it is totally unacceptable to have such scant disregard for family, for emotions, for human life.”

“I would like to state that my family does not wish to coerce, intimidate or dragoon any individual into losing confidence in the rectitude of the Barbados Police Force. However, to deify the police force would be totally ridiculous - men who have the same physical imperfections as you and I cannot be deified - they cannot be the poster-child of perfection,” mentioned Mandela.

The Maloney family as well as the Justice Committee await the results of the Coroner’s inquest which is to be conducted on the 10th of November, 2008.

For more information on the Ras Tacuma I’Akobi Maloney case as well as on the I’Akobi Youth Resource Centre, the public is invited to view the blog at http://icarbarbados.org/tacuma.

Tags: Attorney-General, Brother Heru, change, Church of Haile Selassie I, Coroner, Cove Bay, I'Akobi Youth Resource Centre, independent investigation, inquest, Justice Committee, Landlock, Mandela Maloney, petition, Prime Minister, Ras Fela, Ras KudosSage I, Ras Lumumba, Royal Barbados Police Force, truth

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 8th, 2008 at 8:00 am and is filed under Civil Actions, News, Press Releases. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.