THE CAPITOL ARSON has evolved into a critical test of Liberia’s justice system and democratic resilience. The burning of the nation’s legislative complex — once a clear-cut criminal act — has turned into a crisis that threatens the integrity of institutions, the rule of law, and public trust in governance.
AT THE CENTER OF this crisis is the Liberia National Police, under the leadership of Inspector General Gregory Coleman. The sequence of inconsistent statements, questionable tactics, and troubling allegations now demands urgent scrutiny and decisive, independent oversight.
FROM THE BEGINNING, the National Police have provided conflicting accounts of how suspects were arrested and evidence was collected. In one moment, Inspector Coleman described the arrests as the result of careful intelligence work; shortly thereafter, the narrative switched to confessions and witness cooperation — without any clarification of how those statements were obtained.
WERE DUE PROCESS protocols followed? Were suspects legally represented at every stage? These fundamental questions remain unanswered. Without transparency, these conflicting narratives only deepen suspicion and deepen the sense that justice is being denied.
WORSE YET, CREDIBLE reports now suggest that police officers may have coerced confessions, detained individuals for prolonged periods without charge, and even threatened legal counsel.
SUSPECTS ALLEGED they were beaten, psychologically intimidated, and offered bribes to implicate others in the arson. Not only does this undermine the legitimacy of the investigation — it also sends a chilling message that the system can be manipulated and weaponized.
IF TRUE, IT confirms what many feared that justice in Liberia is conditional —available only to the politically connected, while the vulnerable remain expendable.
A TRULY INDEPENDENT AND impartial probe is not a luxury — it is a necessity. The principle of nemo judex in causa sua, which asserts that no one may be a judge in their own case, is a cornerstone of democratic justice. Yet too often, investigations involving the Liberia National Police are supervised by the very institutions they are examining.
HOW CAN THE Ministry of Justice or the Executive Mansion be expected to hold the police to account when they themselves are entwined in the broader political apparatus?
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF individuals such as Christian Koffa — held in police custody and then vanishing without trace— constitutes a serious human rights violation. Enforced disappearance breaches both domestic law and key international conventions, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
LIBERIA HAS COMMITTED to these standards. If the current investigation continues without accountability or transparency, the country risks violating those commitments.
PRESIDENT JOSEPH Boakai’s ARREST Agenda — centered on anti-corruption, transparency, and the rule of law — is now on trial. Upholding those values requires more than slogans. It demands action.
LAUNCHING AN INDEPENDENT special prosecutor’s investigation into the Capitol arson is an opportunity for the President to demonstrate political courage and institutional integrity. It would reaffirm that Liberia’s institutions belong to the people — and that no one is above scrutiny, not even those in uniform.
THE COSTS OF INACTION are high. A flawed investigation will only fray public trust further. Citizens already distrust official narratives. Now they fear that the truth is being distorted or suppressed. Liberia may have long moved past armed conflict, but its young democracy remains vulnerable to subtler threats —inequality, impunity, and institutional decay. True order and peace require more than the absence of violence. They demand fairness, accountability, and bold leadership.
LIBERIA MUST PROVE THAT its institutions can uphold justice without fear or favor. Justice must not only be done — it must be seen to be done. Anything less than a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation will signal that our nation continues to tolerate injustice in silence, betraying the dreams of those who fought for the birth of true democracy.
THE CAPITOL ARSON investigation can still be redeemed. But only if Liberia acts swiftly — appointing an independent special prosecutor, ensuring full transparency, and holding all officials, including members of the police, fully accountable. Anything less is justice denied — and a blow from which our nation’s promise will struggle to recover.
