Liberia: Evidence, Not Politics, Will Decide Prosecutions, Justice Nominee Tells Senate

What the report says

Liberia’s justice minister-designate, Cllr. Betty Lamin Blamo, told senators in Monrovia on Monday that prosecutions under her leadership would be guided by evidence, legal standards and the burden of proof rather than politics, wealth, family ties or regional background. According to The Liberian Investigator, she made the remarks during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee and said she would not target government critics or protect allies.

Blamo said she would step aside from any case involving a conflict of interest and argued that weak investigations and poor evidence handling are major reasons criminal cases collapse before trial. She also said closer coordination between police and prosecutors is needed, pointing to what she described as improved results during her previous tenure as solicitor general. She asked lawmakers to support more prosecutors and better pay, saying staff losses have affected the ministry’s capacity.

The nominee also outlined plans to address Liberia’s large pretrial detention population. She said thousands of inmates nationwide have not yet been tried and pledged to review files, expand court sittings and work with legal aid providers so people are not kept in jail solely because they lack a lawyer. She further said her ministry would work with anti-corruption agencies, pursue drug trafficking and sexual violence cases, and improve case tracking. The Judiciary Committee did not vote on her nomination Monday and is expected to make a recommendation to the full Senate.