Liberia’s Inspector General of Police, Col. Gregory Coleman, has offered an official explanation for the release of Montserrado County Representative Prescilla Cooper from custody late Friday evening, stating that there was no available cell at the Monrovia Central Prison to accommodate her.
Speaking on state radio ELBC, Col. Coleman disclosed that his decision to release Rep. Cooper into the custody of her lawyer was driven by logistical constraints. “I never wanted to mix them up,” the Police Chief said, referencing the detention of four male lawmakers who are currently jailed at the Monrovia Central Prison, commonly known as South Beach.
Rep. Cooper, a member of the Liberty Party, which is part of the ruling Unity Party alliance, was among several lawmakers invited for questioning as persons of interest in the ongoing Capitol Building investigation. However, she was granted release hours after her detention, unlike her four opposition colleagues: Rep. Jacob Debee, Rep. J. Fonati Koffa, Rep. Dixon Seboe, and Rep. Abu Kamara, all of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), who remain incarcerated.
The statement from the Inspector General has sparked renewed debate around issues of selective justice and political bias, with critics questioning whether the explanation of “no additional cell” is sufficient grounds for a decision that has clear political undertones.
While the Police IG insists his actions were procedural and non-political, the optics of a ruling party-affiliated lawmaker being released, while four opposition figures remain behind bars, continues to fuel public skepticism and political tension.
As the Capitol Building saga unfolds, more questions are being raised than answered, especially around the intersection of justice, politics, and power.
