Liberia awoke this week to a spectacle no young democracy should ever normalize: four sitting members of the House of Representatives, led by former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, were marched from the Capitol grounds to a police cell and then into Monrovia Central Prison, all before a judge could so much as read the charges aloud.
We say without equivocation: arson against the people’s Legislature is a heinous crime. If the Liberia National Police (LNP) has iron-clad evidence that lawmakers conspired to burn their own workplace, every shred of that proof must be placed before a competent court—and the accused, if found guilty, must face the full weight of the law.
But the manner in which these arrests were executed raises alarms louder than the fire sirens that wailed on 18 December 2024. An after-hours swoop on a Friday, timed to ensure a weekend in jail; no publicly released forensic report; no independent audit of the evidence; and a press conference proclaiming guilt before arraignment—all of this smacks less of professional law enforcement and more of political theatre.
Article 42 of our Constitution grants legislators immunity from arrest during session except for “treason, felony or breach of the peace.” Prosecutors argue that arson is a felony and thus the exemption does not stand. Fair point. Yet constitutional safeguards do not evaporate simply because police pronounce a case “ironclad.” They require a warrant signed by a judge and an immediate opportunity for bail. Due process is not a courtesy; it is a cornerstone.
The Unity Party government came to power promising to dismantle the architecture of impunity. It will not do so by erecting a new scaffold of selective justice. If evidence exists, show it. If the case is sound, the courts will convict. But do not confuse the might of the state with the majesty of the law. One intimidates; the other persuades.
The opposition, for its part, should resist the temptation to canonize the accused. Legislators are not above scrutiny simply because they hold a seat. Their constituents—and the nation—deserve answers. A unified call for transparency is far more persuasive than cries of persecution unaccompanied by a willingness to face evidence in court.
We therefore urge three immediate steps:
1. Publish the forensic findings. What ignition source was identified? What links the physical evidence to the accused? Transparency will calm political waters and let facts, not rumors, dictate public opinion.
2. Grant a prompt, open bail hearing. Liberia’s Criminal Procedure Law makes arson a bailable offense at the court’s discretion. Let the judiciary—not the police—decide flight risk.
3. Invite an independent observer mission. ECOWAS, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, or a consortium of Liberian civil-society groups can monitor proceedings, ensuring both accountability for any crime committed and protection of defendants’ rights.
Liberia’s post-war journey has taught us that peace is fragile and democracy is more than ballots; it is process. When government short-circuits that process, it hands demagogues the gift of martyrdom and risks turning genuine wrongdoing into a rallying cry for unrest.
No one is above the law—not lawmakers, not presidents, not police. But the law itself must remain above politics. Let the evidence speak in court, not in press conferences or on placards, and let the verdict—whatever it may be—stand as a testament to institutions that serve justice, not power.
The Editorial Board
