The Liberia National Police (LNP) and the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS) have turned the Capitol Building fire investigation into a politically motivated spectacle. Instead of seeking the truth, they rushed to assign blame, ignoring due process and transparency. Before critical evidence was analyzed or independent experts consulted, authorities declared the fire an act of arson and pinned it on individuals loyal to Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. Now, after arrests and a trial, they belatedly call in international fire experts—raising the question: Is this about uncovering the truth or merely validating a predetermined conclusion?
Liberia is a nation where public trust in institutions is fragile. The LNP and LNFS’s reckless approach to the fire investigation has only deepened that distrust. Without presenting compelling evidence, they hastily ruled out accidental causes and targeted individuals aligned with Koffa. Meanwhile, not a single member of the legislative majority bloc—the faction bitter opposed to Koffa—has been named as a person of interest. The bias is glaring, and the motives are transparent.
What purpose does inviting international fire experts serve now? If their findings contradict the government’s conclusions, will the report be made public? Or is this merely a ploy to legitimize an already flawed investigation? These pressing questions demand answers.
The credibility of the LNP and LNFS has been further eroded by their eagerness to make sweeping claims without providing irrefutable proof. Inspector General Gregory Coleman ruled out electrical faults, citing multiple ignition points and flammable substances, yet failed to present the evidence supporting these assertions. If the investigation was so conclusive, why seek foreign expertise only now? And why was international assistance not pursued when it was first requested? This suggests the government is seeking foreign validation only after engineering its desired outcome.
Moreover, the selective nature of this investigation raises serious concerns. If this were a fair and impartial probe, why has no one from the majority bloc been named as a suspect or person of interest? The Capitol Building is a shared institution, and its destruction affects all lawmakers—majority and minority alike. The LNP and LNFS must explain why their investigation is being conducted along such blatantly partisan lines.
For years, political interests have manipulated Liberia’s law enforcement agencies into becoming instruments of persecution rather than justice. This case appears no different. If Liberia is serious about truth and accountability, then this investigation should have included international fire experts from the start—not as an afterthought. By putting the cart before the horse, the LNP and LNFS have reduced this probe to a mere spectacle, designed to manufacture the truth rather than uncover it.
Justice must not only be done, but it must be seen to be done. The belated arrival of U.S. fire chiefs Kenneth Prillaman, Mark Lynde, and Jerry Streich might be framed as a commitment to fairness, but it is more likely an attempt to rubber-stamp a conclusion that has already been reached. If these experts are truly independent, will they be allowed to challenge the findings already presented by Liberian authorities? And if they do, will their report be made public, or will it be buried to preserve the fabricated narrative?
It is a tragic irony that while Speaker Koffa was among the earliest voices calling for international expertise, he and his associates are now the primary targets of an investigation that lacked that very expertise from the start. The government’s selective outrage and strategic delay in seeking foreign help only confirm that this process is anything but neutral.
Law enforcement agencies cannot function as political weapons, nor should due process be trampled under the weight of bias. The LNP and LNFS must be held accountable for their reckless handling of this case. The Liberian people deserve the unvarnished truth, not a state-sanctioned fabrication.
If the government is sincere in seeking international expertise, it must do so in a way that restores public confidence, not one that rubber-stamps an already compromised process. If the experts’ findings differ from those of the Liberian authorities, the government must commit to making that information public. Anything less would confirm that this entire exercise was never about justice but about securing a politically expedient outcome.
The Capitol Building fire was a national tragedy. But an even greater tragedy is unfolding before our very eyes: the blatant abuse of power, the manipulation of due process, and the weaponization of law enforcement for political ends. Liberia cannot afford to let this injustice stand.
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