President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has suspended Bryant McGill, Deputy Minister for Youth Development at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, after allegations emerged that he raped a 14-year-old girl, the daughter of the Ministry's deputy chief of security.
The Executive Mansion announced the suspension in a statement Wednesday, saying the action "has been taken in line with the government's zero-tolerance policy toward all forms of sexual and gender-based violence and to ensure a fair and transparent investigation." The release added that McGill "will remain suspended until the conclusion of the investigation."
Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Sam Stevequoah formally notified McGill of his suspension on the President's behalf.
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Inspector General of Police Gregory Coleman addressed the case in a detailed briefing at the Liberia National Police headquarters, describing the investigation as "delicate" and outlining the multi-agency steps investigators have taken.
Coleman introduced the joint team working the case and described their roles: members from the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Ministry of Justice's Central Gender-Based Violence Control Unit, and senior LNP investigators and crime services officials. He named the legal team leader and other key officials present and said each would play a role in evidence gathering and prosecution.
Explaining the investigation process, Coleman said rape complaints are first referred to an accredited medical facility for examination. The medical report is then returned to police and used to guide the criminal probe.
"When we have a complaint of sexual abuse reported at the police station, we first and foremost refer the case to one of the six accredited medical facilities around Monrovia for an evaluation. It comes back to the police, and then the police review the report and begin the investigation from there."
Coleman said investigators have reviewed CCTV footage from the area, interviewed the victim, her father and other relatives, questioned persons of interest -- including the suspect -- and conducted on-scene reconstructions to corroborate witness accounts. He added that investigators have also taken multiple statements from the accused.
"Fortunately, this particular area is covered by CCTV camera, so the investigators have come on the scene to review the footage of the camera to try to corroborate the statement of the victim. We've spoken to the victim, we've spoken to the father, we've spoken to aunties, all of the persons of interest that have been in the investigation, including the suspect. We have brought the suspect in for questioning."
Coleman told reporters that the team has prepared a subpoena for the accused deputy minister's call log and that geospatial analysis of that data could help place the suspect at the scene if the allegation is substantiated.
"We've prepared a code for a subpoena of the call log of the deputy minister who's been accused. That call log was a very important part of the investigation because the geospatial data analysis will now point us to placing him exactly to where the allegation is, if substantiated."
On forensic testing, Coleman said the victim's clothing had been preserved and authorities were seeking forensic DNA sampling. He said the police had requested technical assistance and that a communication would be sent to the U.S. Embassy for support with DNA analysis and advanced review of CCTV, even though LNP IT specialists had already said the footage was not tampered with.
"We are on the phone right now trying to engage for help for forensic DNA sampling. Fortunately, the clothes that the minor was wearing were carefully preserved. It's been packaged, so we've now ordered that the DNA sample be collected from the alleged -- the suspect as well, so that we can also do that analysis."
Responding to questions about why the suspect had not yet been arrested, Coleman said the police must establish probable cause before making an arrest that will stand up in court. He stressed the legal limits on detention and the need to complete evidence-gathering to secure a successful prosecution rather than risk a premature arrest that could allow a suspect to walk free.
"Anytime you hear the police pick up somebody for rape, that means we have immediately established that we have the prima facie evidence immediately on hand, and we'll make the arrest. This is a delicate investigation. We have to make sure we certify all of the parameters to make sure we got things right. If, at any point in time, we reach to a point where this team believes, 'okay, we got something to charge,' immediately, Mr. McGill will be arrested."
Coleman acknowledged the public outcry and the case's public profile because the accused is a government official. He urged patience while investigators complete all necessary steps.
"I prefer for us to take our time and send a case to court that will get successful prosecution than to rush with an arrest as people are crying out there for. ... I'm urging the public to please be a little bit patient."
Coleman added a personal note underscoring the gravity of the matter.
"We are committed to this process, protecting our children. This girl -- she's the same age as my daughter. I can't even imagine what I will be going through. But if that happens to me, I will want justice to be served. The protection of one child is the protection of all children in this country."
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Officials said the victim is currently in the custody of the Ministry of Gender, which provides psychosocial support and protection for survivors. Ministry representatives at the briefing stressed their role in strengthening evidence collection and coordinating with police and prosecutors to secure a convictions-ready file.
A Ministry of Gender official at the briefing urged the public not to harass the victim or her family and asked citizens to allow investigators to complete their work.
Civil society groups, women's rights activists and campaigners had intensified calls for McGill's suspension -- and for his arrest and prosecution -- after he initially took a voluntary leave of absence when the allegations emerged. Many activists said leave was insufficient and welcomed the President's suspension as a necessary step, while continuing to demand swift legal accountability.
"Suspension is the right step, but now justice must follow," said one activist.
"Nobody is above the law," Inspector General Coleman said. "If we are able to establish this particular thing as substantially in the claim, he will be arrested. There is absolutely no one that's above the law in this country."
