By Kruah Thompson
Monrovia, June 11, 2025: The Government of Liberia has called for a speedy trial for those accused of involvement in the arson attack on the Capitol Building.
While acknowledging sympathy for those charged, the government emphasized the importance of justice and urged the judiciary to handle the case without delay.
Speaking Tuesday at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism’s regular press briefing, Deputy Information Minister Daniel Sanoe said the government has a duty to ensure that anyone implicated in criminal acts is held accountable through the judicial process.
“We are calling for a speedy trial of those accused in the Capitol Hill arson case,” Minister Sanoe said. “The investigation was thorough and took nearly six months. It was conducted with assistance from international partners to ensure its integrity, and based on the findings, individuals of interest were invited for questioning.
Sanoe emphasized that the police acted based on credible evidence and not on political motivations. “Some individuals who made threatening statements were not charged because the investigation did not find any criminal evidence against them,” he explained.
“So, people must know that it took about six months for this entire investigation, and that should even show to people that the government is not interested in arbitrarily arresting anyone, we have evidence,” he said.
He noted that everyone knows the court does not work on Saturdays, but interestingly, after the individual were arrested, the court was opened on a Saturday to hear from them. That, he added, should show that the government is not targeting anyone, but is rather focused on ensuring that those who committed the act face justice.
He said the same way a group of terrorists planned, coordinated, and executed an attack against the United States, the same comparison can be made to what happened in Liberia at the Capitol Building.
Responding to those expressing disappointment in the government, he added that anyone who commits a crime will be arrested and prosecuted, and no one will enjoy impunity.
However, he warned that threatening the peace of the country will not help anyone, because this is not the first time that lawmakers have been dragged to court.
“This democracy will only thrive when the rule of law is respected, but nobody will be allowed to commit a crime and believe that they are untouchable,” he said.
He warned those who are misbehaving that the day they commit a crime, they will be apprehended.
“There are no sacred cows under this government. Anybody who commits a crime will be arrested,” he emphasized.
However, he said their mandate as a government is to establish who committed the crimes, and it is now left with the court to prosecute and prove whether those who committed the crime are innocent.
Meanwhile, minister Sanoe warn those making threatening remarks that President Boakai, will not be deterred, he will ensure that those connected to the crime face be prosecuted He call on the court to speed the trail process to ensure that justice is served.
