Monrovia — President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on Saturday defended the demolition of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) headquarters, insisting the action was the enforcement of a court ruling and not a political decision.
"The law is the law. It is not the government; it is the government's implementation of the law," President Boakai told reporters upon his return from Japan. "The police were ordered to carry out the action, and they did. That demolition was simply the removal of people from premises that did not belong to them."
The Liberia National Police stormed the CDC compound in Congo Town early Saturday, enforcing a ruling by the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court which awarded the 4.23-acre property near Bernard's Beach to the Estate of Martha Stubblefield Bernard.
Judge George W. Smith ruled that the CDC had no legal ownership of the land after reviewing deeds and boundary lines, and instructed the Montserrado County Sheriff to execute the eviction. On the eve of the operation, Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman announced that the police would provide support to the sheriffs in carrying out the court's mandate.
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In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Deputy Police Director for Operations, Cllr. J. Nelson Freeman, outlined the role played by officers during the exercise.
"We provided and maintained public order to prevent violence, riots, or disturbances between the evicting party and the occupants," Freeman wrote.
"Our officers ensured the safety and protection of lives and property, including those of the landlord, tenants, neighbors, and court officials."
He stressed that the LNP's involvement was in full compliance with the law and based on a valid court order. "We enforced the law by ensuring that the eviction was carried out strictly in line with a valid court order or legal mandate, thereby preventing any illegal or forced eviction," he added.
But CDC leaders strongly condemned the demolition, arguing that the case remains before the courts. Party Chairman Janga Augustus Kowo said the CDC had filed appeals in two related cases at the Civil Law Court.
"The case between the CDC and its landlord is a civil matter that is still going through adjudication at the Liberian judiciary," Kowo said, describing the eviction as an invasion.
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Meanwhile, Eugene Lenn Nagbe, Chief of Staff to former President George Weah, the political leader of the CDC, is expected to address partisans later today.
