Africa-Press – Liberia. Senator Konneh criticized the use of heavily armed officers to escort the lawmakers to jail, describing the optics as reminiscent of Liberia’s authoritarian past.
Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh has issued a strong rebuke of the Liberia National Police (LNP) over what he described as the excessive and politically charged treatment of former House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa and four sitting lawmakers, who are accused in connection with the December 2024 Capitol Building fire.
In a statement published on his official Facebook page, Senator Konneh criticized the use of heavily armed officers to escort the lawmakers to jail, describing the optics as reminiscent of Liberia’s authoritarian past.
“The images of LNP officers wielding machine guns as they escorted former Speaker Koffa and his colleagues to jail—vivid images of figures like Weh-Sehn, Neson Toe, and others being escorted by M-16 rifle-carrying AFL soldiers—surfaced in my mind,” Konneh wrote.
He likened the lawmakers’ defiant gestures upon release to historic resistance movements:
“As the prisoners walked outside the prison gate yesterday, they threw their fists in the air to cheering supporters, shouting Apartheid-era South African slogans—just like other high-profile prisoners did in the 1980s. It struck me suddenly that we seem to have learned nothing from our collective traumas. It feels as though everything is still politicized.”
Senator Konneh, a former Minister of Finance and a respected voice in the Senate, warned that such militarized legal proceedings involving elected officials risk eroding public trust in the justice system and tarnishing Liberia’s democratic credentials.
The case involves allegations linking Koffa and several lawmakers to a fire that severely damaged sections of the Capitol Building late last year. Defense lawyers have moved to dismiss the charges, calling them politically motivated and lacking credible evidence.
In a detailed commentary titled “The Politics of the Bail System: What is the Price for Freedom Before Trial?”, Konneh argued that recent developments expose deep flaws in Liberia’s justice system—particularly the influence of politics on decisions surrounding pre-trial detention.
“What transpired in Liberia’s justice system over the last few days highlights a troubling truth: the fate of defendants and their pre-trial freedom is dictated not by their guilt, innocence, or even the severity of their alleged crimes, but rather by political affiliations,” Konneh wrote. “In this specific instance, it was not the established legal bail system that secured the release of the former Speaker and his co-defendants; it was the weight of political pressure.”
Konneh noted that while the bail system and legal instruments such as the Ne Exeat Republica writ are intended to manage flight risks, their uneven application raises serious concerns.
“Why, I wonder, did the court not uphold these mechanisms for justice for former Speaker Koffa and his co-defendants?” he asked.
While calling for accountability in the Capitol arson case, Konneh emphasized that justice must be applied evenly.
“We are all yearning for accountability regarding the Capitol’s burning—an act that attacked our very symbol of democracy. I wrote the letter demanding accountability, which led to a public hearing in the Senate late last week. Yet, we require that justice be meted out equitably, without favoritism and political targeting.”
Quoting Thomas Jefferson, Konneh said the experience reminded him of the political turmoil of Liberia’s 1980s, and he warned that true justice “cannot remain dormant” if the country is to move forward.
He cited Article 66 of the Liberian Constitution, which enshrines the presumption of innocence and guarantees bail except in capital or exceptionally grave offenses, while explicitly prohibiting excessive bail.
“Perhaps now is the time for the Legislature to revisit our Constitution to fortify protections for accused persons through an unequivocal commitment to the doctrine of ‘innocent until proven guilty,’” he concluded. “We must rely on our legal experts to guide us in protecting the integrity of our justice system and upholding the rights of the accused. A fairer, more equitable legal landscape is essential for all.”
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