Monrovia — STAND chairman Mulbah K. Morlu, Jr. has called for the immediate appointment of a Special Prosecutor and the recusal of Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman from the ongoing investigation into the Capitol Arson case.
By Selma Lomax [email protected]
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Morlu warned that the credibility of the investigation has been severely compromised. He accused the Liberia National Police (LNP) of abandoning its constitutional role and operating as a partisan arm of the ruling establishment.
According to Morlu, this is a defining moment for the administration of President Joseph Boakai. He said the president must act immediately by appointing a truly independent Special Prosecutor and ensuring that IG Coleman is removed from the investigation process.
Morlu added that any delay in doing so would invite international condemnation, destroy public confidence, and risk destabilizing Liberia’s fragile peace.
Morlu said it has independently confirmed a troubling pattern of human rights violations by both the Liberia National Police and the National Security Agency. These include arbitrary arrests, torture, coerced confessions, and enforced disappearances.
Among the cases highlighted are that of Thomas Etheridge, who was allegedly tortured at the NSA’s White Plains facility and forced to sign a false confession; Andrew Lawson and Albert Weah, who were reportedly beaten and forced to drink urine during interrogation; John Nyanti, who was allegedly detained for 11 days without charge after refusing a bribe to implicate others; and Christian Koffa, who was reportedly arrested and remains missing, raising fears of enforced disappearance.
Morlu maintains that these actions are in direct violation of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia as well as international treaties to which Liberia is a party, including the UN Convention Against Torture, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The group’s chairman also cited violations of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
In addition to the human rights concerns, Morlu argues that the continued involvement of IG Coleman and the Ministry of Justice in the investigation represents a clear conflict of interest.
The group’s chairman referenced several Liberian legal provisions it believes have been breached, including Penal Code sections prohibiting witness tampering and obstruction of justice, and constitutional guarantees to equal protection under the law and the right to bail for non-capital offenses such as arson.
Morlu invoked the legal principle “nemo judex in causa sua,” meaning no one should be a judge in their own cause, to support its call for IG Coleman’s recusal.
He outlined a series of demands. These include the immediate appointment of an independent Special Prosecutor outside the influence of the Executive and the Ministry of Justice, the recusal or suspension of Inspector General Coleman, full legal and medical access for all detainees and victims, the equal treatment of all accused persons under the law free from political interference, and the involvement of international observers from ECOWAS, the African Union, and the United Nations to ensure transparency and accountability.
Morlu said the handling of this case will serve as a critical benchmark for Liberia’s commitment to justice and democratic principles. As of press time, the Ministry of Justice and the Liberia National Police had not responded to the allegations or to the demand for IG Coleman to step aside.
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