BREWERVILLE — Bishop Kortu Brown, a prominent Liberian religious leader, is urging the Unity Party-led government and opposition politicians to avoid creating unnecessary tension in the country amid the ongoing prosecution of several lawmakers accused of involvement in the December 2024 Capitol Building fire.
Speaking Monday during an interview in Brewerville, Bishop Brown cautioned all political actors to refrain from politicizing the trial of the lawmakers and to allow the legal process to proceed independently and peacefully.
"We should be able to find the culprits; we should bring them to justice and I am very clear about that. We are hoping that we do all of this within the confines of the rule of law," he stated.
The case stems from a fire that gutted the Joint Chambers of the Capitol Building on December 18, 2024. Government authorities concluded the incident was an act of arson following investigations by the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS).
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Subsequently, criminal charges were brought against five lawmakers including Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa (District 2, Grand Kru County), Abu B. Kamara (District 15, Montserrado County), Dixon Seboe (District 16, Montserrado County), Priscilla Cooper (District 5, Montserrado County), and Jacob Debee (District 3, Grand Gedeh County). The charges include arson, criminal facilitation, and criminal conspiracy.
Four of the accused spent two nights at the Monrovia Central Prison before being released on bail on Monday, June 9. Representative Priscilla Cooper was reportedly released earlier on medical grounds.
Bishop Brown stressed that the government must ensure fairness and transparency throughout the proceedings and should take extra care to avoid actions that could be interpreted as politically motivated.
"The trial must be carried out in a way where the majority of the citizenry would see and believe that it is not intended to go after one group of people or individuals," he said. "This should not be a Unity Party or CDC issue -- no."
He further warned that allowing partisan narratives to dominate the case could heighten political tension."We need to do all we can to keep the place calm," Bishop Brown cautioned.
The Bishop also expressed disappointment that the arrests and subsequent detention of the lawmakers overshadowed what he described as a week filled with significant national accomplishments.
He referenced Liberia's election to the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member, President Joseph Boakai's decision to waive tariffs on rice imports, the removal of Liberia from a U.S. visa restriction list, and the inauguration of ArcelorMittal's iron ore concentrator in Nimba County.
"Liberia made big marks last week; I thought we were to celebrate those marks the whole of last week. But the music for the celebration was stopped," Bishop Brown said. "I am wondering why the government stopped the celebration tape?"
He described the timing of the lawmakers' arrests as "not timely," and argued that the government could have delayed the action to preserve national unity during a moment of celebration.
"I still don't understand why we had a good week, but that week was interrupted with something that could be done next week or another time," he said.
Bishop Brown reiterated his commitment to legal accountability and condemned the attack on the Capitol Building as "a bad act of lawlessness."
"It is unacceptable and condemnable for someone to go and burn the Capitol Building," he said. "We as religious people, we stand with and by the rule of law. We don't want Liberia to be a reckless or lawless country."
However, he emphasized that due process must be followed. "No one is guilty until proven by a court of competent jurisdiction," he stated. "We should not personalize this court issue."
Bishop Brown also condemned the physical assault and arrest of Janga Kowo, Chairman of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), who was apprehended at the Monrovia Central Prison while expressing solidarity with the detained lawmakers. Kowo was reportedly thrown into the back of a police pickup truck by officers of the LNP and later released without charge.
"They took the Chairman of a whole political party and just threw him in the back of a pick-up. I think it was just reckless," the Bishop said. "We need national engagements. There's a way to address these issues that people will not think that we are trying to go after them."
Describing the incident as "troubling," Bishop Brown called for a full investigation into the actions of the police.
Calling for peaceful engagement, Bishop Brown urged politicians on both sides to reduce inflammatory rhetoric and prioritize national unity.
"There's no need for anyone to target one another here," he said. "Let's reduce the rhetoric that will further heighten tensions within the communities. The best thing to do is to engage, dialogue, and talk about the issues."
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"I just want to appeal for calm from the government side--the rhetoric--this is a plea for us to tamper some of it with reasoning. We want to also appeal to the opposition people to exercise restraints and let's do whatever we can to be able to ensure that this environment remains calm."
He noted that while intentions may be genuine, the method of execution matters. "Sometimes you may be doing the right thing, but the way you do it will make people think whether or not it's the right thing you are doing."
Bishop Brown emphasized that it is now the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice to present credible evidence, and that whatever the court rules must be respected by all parties.
"We should not make it a Unity Party or CDC issue. If these people are accused, we encourage them to go to court and we all should wait and see what happens as they go through the trial," he advised.
He added by reminding all actors of their constitutional responsibilities. "President Joseph Boakai and his government are under obligation to ensure that Liberia is peaceful and calm," he said. "Opposition politicians should also be reminded of their responsibility to keep the peace in Liberia regardless of provocation from any state actors."
