21/04/2022
The mistake that we keep making on autopsy in Liberia – The two medical doctors from JFK are not forensic pathologists
If you have not read anything from me, I encourage you to take time off and read this piece.
Let’s start off like this.
A team of two government-sponsored medical doctors from J.F.K. Memorial Hospital was announced by the Ministry of Justice on March 28, 2022 to conduct a forensic autopsy or a medicolegal autopsy on Ms. Princess Cooper’s Co**se.
I will endeavor to answer just four (4) basic questions:
1) Who are those two medical doctors?
2) What medical credentials do they have and from which medical school were those credentials acquired?
3) Are they really forensic pathologists? Who should actually conduct a forensic autopsy or which type of pathologist is best suited to conduct such autopsy?
4) Are there links or traces of Conflict of Interest?
Let’s move to answering question #1 (Current Status):
The two Liberian medical doctors are Dr. Benedict B. Kolee and Dr. Zoebon B. Kpadeh. Both doctors work in the Department of Histopathology at the Clinical Laboratory Services of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital on 22nd Street, Tubman Boulevard, Sinkor, Monrovia – Liberia.
Question #2 (Medical Credentials):
1) Dr. Benedict B. Kolee hails from Bolahun, Lofa County, northern Liberia. He is an alumnus of the St. Augustine High School in Bolahun. Kolee holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Zoology major and Chemistry minor from the University of Liberia. Kolee studied and graduated with his medical degree in Clinical Pathology from the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) in Accra, Ghana. So, by profession and specialty, Kolee is a Clinical Pathologist and not a Forensic Pathologist.
2) Dr. Zoebon B. Kpadeh hails from B**g County, central Liberia. He is an alumnus of the Cathedral Catholic High School on Ashmun Street, Monrovia. Dr. Kpadeh holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Biology from the Cuttington University. He is a graduate of the A. M. Doglioti College of Medicine, University of Liberia. Dr. Kpadeh also studied and graduated with his medical degree in Clinical Pathology from the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) in Accra, Ghana. So, by profession and specialty, Kpadeh too is a Clinical Pathologist and not a Forensic Pathologist.
Note: Let me tell you how both doctors, Kolee and Kpadeh, got this opportunity to study Clinical Pathology at UGMS. Through a government-sponsored scholarship program, Dr. Zoebon Kpadeh and Dr. Benedict Kolee were privileged to have obtained their medical credentials in Clinical Pathology from UGMS – University of Ghana Medical School. Please read this 240-page report as my proof or reference: http://moj.gov.lr/data/uploads/downloads/moj_annual_report_2015_version-charles.pdf.
Once again, they are not forensic pathologists. Even at UGMS where they studied, Forensic Pathology is not offered. For instance, as at 2015, Ghana didn’t even have a single forensic pathologist. Please read: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4549826/.
Question #3 (Clinical Pathologists or Forensic Pathologists):
The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) announced “Forensic Autopsy” and not “Clinical Autopsy”. An autopsy based on clinical approach is different from an autopsy based on forensic approach. You cannot hire clinical pathologists to conduct forensic autopsy and let me tell you why. Pathology has different fields and/or specialties.
Clinical Pathology is a whole different field from Forensic Pathology and Anatomical Pathology.
There are 3 basic types of pathologists according to Global Pre-Meds and several other advanced medical research institutes, namely:
1) Anatomical Pathologists
2) Clinical Pathologists
3) Forensic Pathologists
Let us go straight into these 3 specialized fields:
1) An Anatomical pathologist examines tissue specimens taken from the human body;
2) A clinical pathologist conducts and oversees laboratory tests on body fluids, such as blood and urine. That’s all they do;
3) A Forensic Pathologist examines evidence collected in sudden, unexplained deaths, such as homicides and accidents.
Are you seeing how different these 3 types of pathologists are? So, where can Dr. Benedict B. Kolee and Dr. Zoebon B. Kpadeh be found? They can be found in type 2 and not type 1 or type 3. They are clinical pathologists and not forensic pathologists.
The death of Ms. Princess Cooper remains unexplained to date. So, why did MOJ hire clinical pathologists to conduct forensic autopsy? This blatant deception or hypocrisy is a cunning attempt to cover up murder like they did in those four deceased auditors’ case. A forensic autopsy requires a forensic pathologist. They know this fact but they are pretending not to know because their interest is to evade JUSTICE.
Important medical notes: A forensic pathologist spends more years studying than a clinical pathologist. In fact, a forensic pathologist has an edge to even conduct both anatomical autopsy and clinical autopsy. But a Clinical Pathologist cannot conduct a forensic autopsy. Clinical Pathologists have limitations.
Let’s move to my last question #4 (Links and Traces of Conflict of Interest):
I am going to identify 3 links or traces which point to Conflict of Interest.
Before any autopsy was conducted on Ms. Cooper’s Co**se, the Government of Liberia through the Liberia National Police had already preempted or concluded Ms. Cooper’s case by publicly saying that “there was no foul-play and that Ms. Cooper died of natural causes”. In order to confirm such unscientific and bogus conclusion, they hired their own clinical pathologists. Here’s how these pathologists are linked to government’s interest:
1) Both clinical pathologists are government-sponsored doctors and they get paychecks from government. So, they are not independent pathologists.
2) The wife of Dr. Benedict B Kolee, Madam Theodosia S. Kolee, was appointed as the Chairperson of the National Aids Commission (NAC) by President George M. Weah. She also sits on JFK’s Board.
3) The Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr. Samora P. Z. WoloKolie, is the blood brother of Dr. Zoebon B. Kpadeh from mother’s side.
Dr. Benedict Kolee and Dr. Zoebon B. Kpadeh have said, “Princess Cooper died of natural causes linking to hemorrhagic shock. She died of Tuberculosis.”
How could she have died of TB when her lifeless body was found in a pool of blood in a fence behind FAWAZ Building Construction Company at ELWA Junction? Dr. Kolee and Dr. Kpadeh are being used to cover up MURDER. The foremost intent of this government has been and remains to COVER UP murder and distort EVIDENCE.
A US-based Liberian medical doctor wrote this to me via my inbox, “Martin, firstly, they don’t have the qualification to conduct forensic autopsy. Liberia does not even have such medical equipment. The second thing is that Liberia does not have any toxicological lab to conduct advanced analyses of deaths caused by Tuberculosis. Medically, it takes up 2 months or 8 weeks to determine TB death. They are lying and I want to challenge the latest outcome of their postmortem examination.”
Recommendation:
I do not know Ms. Princess Cooper’s family but they need to read what I have written. They need to protest and demand an independent international forensic pathologist. If they want, we can help them to raise money and establish contacts with foreign forensic pathologists who are qualified, competent and credible. For us, we are more interested in JUSTICE. Like those four auditors who were gruesomely murdered, will Princess not get JUSTICE too? Injustice has become a new normal in Liberia. Sad times for Africa’s oldest Republic.
I WILL STOP HERE.
In Photo: Ms. Princess Cooper and Dr. Benedict Kole
