By- Aruna Rashed Toma Bangura
A distresse Indian national who is currently stranded and struck in Sierra Leone since October 25th,2022, Manoj Kumar Vatwani has intimated to the Africa24 that he is requesting the government of Liberia to permit him access to enter the Republic of Liberia to face whatever charges that are against him and answer all the questions in any competent court of law, security agencies and to complete his pending trial in the Liberian court of Law with Mr.Upjit Singh Sachdeva known as Mr. Jeety in a defamation case of USD$12 million. He said that he wants to return to Liberia where his wife and 8years minor daughter are currently staying but has been refused visa twice.
“I have stayed in Liberia me and my family for over 22 years with no criminal records,” he said, adding that he has now gone for 31 months without seeing his wife and daughter. “I don’t want the stigma of not returning Liberia because of alleged criminal act,” he said which he confirmed is not good neither for him nor the India community and those Indians who are living and doing business in Liberia for the past decades. “It will be reflected badly on the image of India and our Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi is working hard so hard to build in the global world,” he cried.
Mr. Manoj Kumar Vatwani said the treatment meted to him by the Liberian government is very unfair because has already made Liberia his home and his family is currently staying in Liberia and have been separated from them for too long.
Speaking to the Africa24, Mr. Manoj Kumar said he is a peaceful India national who has lived and worked in Liberia for over twenty years with no criminal records or any problems. He said he travelled from L Iberia to India on 12th September, 2020 for some official purpose, adding that his departure was well known by so many people both in the public and private sector as he travelled with honor and respect from RIA staff in compliance with all travelling formalities with his return tickets in business class in Air France.
According to Mr. Kumar, he identified and pointed fingers at fellow Indian national, Mr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva known as Mr. Jeety as the one playing hiding role by spending money on the Liberian immigration department trying to stop him from entering Liberia where he and his family have spent more than two decades.
“We have to try and find out to understand why he is acting and playing games in hiding ways and what is his motive for doing this,” he called. He said Mr. Jeety is trying to put into disrepute the image of officials of Liberia together with the Ambassador of India in Liberia, adding that, Mr.Jeety is also trying to stain the reputation of the Indian Religious Committee and its devoted members in Liberia (SHRI GURUDWARA SAHAB & SHRI GEETA AASHRAM LIBERIA) as well as Indian business people and resident Indians in Liberia. He said what Mr. Jeety is playing behind the curtain, under-cover while misusing and misguiding the government officials in Liberia, adding that Mr. Jeety is a dangerous person to human society especially the India community in Liberia.
“His act is very unprofessional, acting and playing like an illiterate person who never goes to school in his life. This person must know he will always be remembered as a coward Indian player and I will be remembered as honest and brave soldier of Indian community in Liberia,” he fumed.
He said Mr. Jeety brought up a case of defamation against him for the sum of USD$12 million which is why he is crying to enter Liberia to complete his trial because he knows that he is innocent. He said Mr. Jetty has been collecting money from the India government in pretense to help boost development in Liberia which he said he never did. He continued that Mr. Jetty is blocking other India nationals not to enter Liberia and do business with the government.
Mr. Kumar disclosed that upon completing his official mission in India, he was informed by the Central Bureau Intelligence (CBI) of India that Interpol lookout notice was issued in India was issued in India with his passport details dated 31st March, 2021 and he later received a police charge sheet issued by the Headquarters of the Liberia police dated 15th September, 2020 on him for Impersonating official, Criminal Facilitation, Criminal conspiracy, Forgery and Terroristic threat. He carried on that as a responsible and proud citizen of India, he applied for new airport visa from Liberia Immigration Service and received visa but later on got informed that his visa has been cancelled because it was issued in the NGO category by mistake. He said after a long wait for his next visa and the serious matter of Interpol look out notice, charge sheet and writ of arrest, he then made two separate attempts to re-enter Liberia after he had received visa from Liberia Embassy in Sierra Leone but was prevented from entering Liberia via Sierra Leone but said was refused entry twice on the basis that there is an indictment against him from the Liberian government.
According to Mr. Kumar, he renewed his residence and re-entry permit few days before his departure to India with official receipt of Liberia revenue authority. He furthered that some few days before his departure from Liberia on 12th September,2020 and his date of arrest as per sheet 9th September,2020 was not an arrest but was invited by the Liberia police to answer some question and he was highly honored and respect while at the police station.
Mr. Manoj Kumar said he received a NOTE VERBALE issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, government of Liberia on 7th
November, 2022 that the Liberian Intelligence Sector has gathered intelligence on him and he left the country to evade the investigation. The desperate Indian national who has no fix abode in Sierra Leone has said to this medium that he is ready to face all the charges against him in any competent court in Liberia and ready to give answer to all concern authorities and all security agencies of Liberia concerning his case, pending trials and investigation on him, adding that this spoiling the hard earned reputation of the India community in Liberia.