The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) is calling on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to expand the ongoing investigation into recent developments in the security sector by bringing in independent groups and professional organizations.
CENTAL Executive Director Anderson Miamen said involving a wider group of stakeholders would help restore public confidence in the investigation, particularly at a time when trust in some security institutions remains low.
Miamen welcomed President Boakai’s decision to act quickly on the matter and described Justice Minister and Attorney General Cllr. Oswald Tweh as a respected statesman. However, he said the investigation should not be handled by the Ministry of Justice alone.
“Trust is very limited in the security sector right now. I welcome the president’s swift action on this matter. Also, the minister of justice is a respectable statesman,” Miamen said.
He proposed that the Ministry of Justice work together with the Liberia National Bar Association, independent civil society organizations, a representative of the media, the Female Lawyers Association of Liberia and the Inter-Religious Council.
According to Miamen, bringing the institutions together would give the investigation a broader perspective and make the outcome more acceptable to the public.
“However, to enhance trust in the process, given all that we have seen over the last few weeks and months, the Ministry of Justice should have been paired with the Liberia National Bar Association, Independent civil society, a representative of the media, the female lawyers association of Liberia and Inter Religious Council,” he said.
Miamen said the President’s decision not to establish such a panel does not prevent the Justice Ministry from involving the proposed institutions at this stage.
He urged Justice Minister Tweh to invite representatives of the organizations to participate in the investigation.
“Since the president did not do so, perhaps in good faith, the minister of justice should invite representatives of the named institutions to jointly investigate the saga,” Miamen said.
He stressed that the proposal should not be interpreted as a lack of confidence in the Ministry of Justice or the minister.
Rather, he said, the involvement of independent actors would help strengthen the process and reassure the public that the investigation is being conducted fairly.
“This does not necessarily mean that the ministry alone is unable to conduct the investigation. It is a move to enhance inclusiveness, independence and credibility of the investigative process,” Miamen added.
CENTAL’s position comes as public scrutiny of Liberia’s security and justice institutions continues to grow, with civil society groups increasingly calling for transparency, accountability and public confidence in government investigations.
