Published: June 27, 2025
MONROVIA, Liberia — The opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) has sharply criticized the Unity Party-led administration, accusing President Joseph Boakai’s government of engaging in political persecution and abusing state power to target former officials of the Weah administration.
In a statement released late Thursday, the CDC described recent corruption allegations and subsequent arrests of three of its prominent members as “false, far-fetched, and manufactured,” asserting that the Boakai government is weaponizing the justice system to intimidate and silence perceived opponents.
The comments follow the high-profile arrests of former Foreign Affairs Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, former General Services Agency Director Mary T. Broh, and former National Disaster Management Agency Executive Director Henry O. Williams. All three were detained briefly at the Monrovia Central Prison after being indicted by the Special Grand Jury for Montserrado County. The charges relate to the alleged mismanagement of over 25,000 bags of rice donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for disaster relief, with the government estimating losses of more than US$425,000.
Party Alleges Intimidation, Selective Justice
Calling the arrests “frivolous, disgraceful, and shallow,” CDC National Chairman Atty. Augustus Janga Kowo said the actions were part of a broader attempt by the Boakai administration to distract from its own scandals and suppress dissent.
“Accused officials of the Boakai government roam freely, while members of the opposition face wanton arrests, abuse of their basic rights, detention, and police brutality,” the party’s statement read.
The CDC further accused security forces of overreach, alleging that police forcibly entered the residence of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to arrest Mary Broh, who previously served as Monrovia’s mayor and a top official in the Sirleaf and Weah administrations.
“This intrusion into the home of a former head of state and the use of excessive force against respected national figures like Madam Broh and former First Lady Thelma Comfort Sawyer are deeply troubling,” the statement added.
CDC Warns: ‘Rule of Law Is Not Weakness’
While reaffirming its commitment to peace and democratic principles, the CDC warned that its patience should not be mistaken for weakness.
“Our commitment to the rule of law—something the Unity Party-led government seems allergic to—is being misunderstood as a weakness,” the statement said. “We have the capacity to confront, defeat, and dismantle these targeted attempts, though we are constrained by our respect for law and order.”
The party described the Boakai administration’s anti-corruption campaign as a “biased, politically driven, window-dressing exercise” and demanded the immediate dismissal of all charges against its members. It claimed to possess “a preponderance of evidence” proving their innocence and denounced what it called the harassment of “peace-loving and democratically minded” supporters.
Call for Genuine Anti-Corruption Effort
Despite its grievances, the CDC said it remains supportive of authentic efforts to fight corruption, provided such efforts are free of political interference and selective enforcement.
“We stand ready to support a genuine anti-corruption drive that is impartial and guided by the law, not political vendettas,” the statement noted.
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