Investigative report raises questions over selective justice and the role of law enforcement
Monrovia, Liberia — Liberia is facing a storm of criticism over the credibility of its justice system after allegations surfaced that Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Bryant McGill, accused of raping a 14-year-old girl, may have fled the country under the watch of state security.
The unfolding scandal has cast a spotlight on the Liberia National Police (LNP) and reignited public outrage over what many describe as a “two-tier system of justice” — one for the poor and another for the politically powerful.
A Timeline of Contradictions
According to Liberia’s 2006 Rape Law, rape is classified as a state crime, non-bailable, and considered a national emergency offense. Suspects are to be arrested immediately upon accusation and held pending trial.
But the McGill case diverged sharply from this procedure. Instead of swift arrest, the LNP — under Inspector General Gregory Coleman — announced that it required “up to 42 hours” to conduct what it described as a delegated investigation. This reasoning is rarely, if ever, applied to ordinary suspects.
During this window, multiple sources allege that McGill left the country. “The 48-hour excuse was a smokescreen,” one legal observer told reporters on condition of anonymity. “It gave him just enough time to vanish.”
Who Opened the Exit Door?
Speculation is now rife about whether state actors facilitated McGill’s disappearance. With Liberia’s airport security and immigration services tightly controlled by government forces, many question how a high-profile official facing a serious accusation could have slipped out without institutional knowledge.
“Who helped him escape if not the Liberia National Police?” asked one women’s rights campaigner at a recent protest in Monrovia. “Ordinary Liberians are thrown in cells within hours. But this man had days — and a plane ticket.”
Government Pushback
Deputy Information Minister Daniel Sando attempted to redirect the narrative, insisting that the wellbeing of the victim should be the first priority. He accused protesters of politicizing the matter and chastised journalists for pressing on McGill’s whereabouts rather than focusing on the investigation itself.
But critics argue the government’s line sounds more like damage control than justice. “This isn’t about politics, it’s about the law,” said a Monrovia-based human rights lawyer. “Rape is non-bailable, full stop. The police are acting like public relations officers for the accused instead of enforcing the law.”
Civil Society Erupts
The case has galvanized activists across Liberia. Women’s rights leader Vickjune Wutoh led street demonstrations highlighting what she described as a “biased and broken justice system” where the poor rot in jail for years awaiting trial, while elites maneuver their way out of accountability.
“This case proves the system isn’t weak — it’s weaponized,” Witoh said. “The police are quick to lock up market boys and students, but when it’s a minister, suddenly they find loopholes.”
The International Dimension
Amid calls for transparency, the LNP disclosed that DNA evidence would need to be tested abroad due to a lack of local forensic capacity. While officials have reached out to the U.S. Embassy for assistance, critics note that international partners cannot restore credibility to a process already tainted by suspicion of collusion.
A System on Trial
For many Liberians, the McGill case has become less about one official and more about the integrity of the state. If a rape suspect can slip across borders under police watch, it raises doubts about the entire enforcement apparatus.
“This is Liberia’s credibility on trial,” said one civil society advocate. “If McGill is gone, it’s not just his crime we’re talking about — it’s a crime against the rule of law itself.”
As speculation over McGill’s whereabouts deepens, so too does public anger. For now, the pressing question lingers unanswered: Did the Liberia National Police allow a suspect to escape justice, or did they help him do it?
