Monrovia- Renowned human rights lawyer Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, has condemned the government for allowing Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Bryant McGill to remain free despite being accused of raping a 14-year-old girl. In a fiery statement, Cllr. Gongloe expressed outrage, stressing that the situation reflects what he described as “selective justice.” He maintained that no citizen, regardless of status, should be above the law.
“Deputy Minister McGill, the man who was accused of raping a 14-year-old girl, is passing up and down the street. He should be in the police cell. All suspects of crime must be treated the same way,” Gongloe stated.Referencing Article 11(c) of the Liberian Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law, the human rights lawyer emphasized that the government has a duty to ensure justice is applied equally.
He warned that the government’s failure to act not only undermines its “Arrest Agenda” but also weakens public trust in the justice system.
“What is happening now undermines the rule of law,” Gongloe said. “When ordinary citizens from West Point or Sinoe are accused of crimes, they are immediately arrested. The same should apply to government officials.” Cllr. Gongloe recalled his time as Solicitor General when he ordered the arrest of a sitting senator accused in an investigation, insisting that legal accountability must not be compromised by political influence.
The lawyer further criticized McGill, stating that a man appointed to protect and empower the youth has instead become a danger to them. “For a deputy minister of youth development to become a threat to the survival of young people is not anything that the government should take lightly,” he noted.
Author: Cooper K.Sangar Jr
