By By: Staff Writer
Monrovia — The Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction is calling for the immediate suspension or dismissal of Liberian National Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman, accusing him of openly disrespecting Nimba County Senator Samuel Gongbein Kogar during a Senate hearing on Liberia’s US$19 million drug crisis.
In a July 5 statement, “Concerned Partisans of the MDR and Citizens of Nimba County” said Coleman abandoned professional decorum and told Senator Kogar he was “talking loosely” while the lawmaker was performing constitutional oversight. The group called the comment a “calculated and deliberate outburst” and not a slip of the tongue, arguing it exposed a dangerous disregard for the Legislature.
“We are erecting a ‘political and social checkpoint’ against such behavior,” the statement read. MDR partisans said an insult to Kogar is an insult to the thousands of Nimbaians who elected him and to the Senate as a “Sacred Institution.” They warned the culture of executive officials bullying lawmakers “must stop immediately” or risk eroding public confidence in government.
The group also slammed the Senate leadership for sitting in “silence” as the insult happened, only reacting after Kogar raised the issue himself. “An injury to one is an injury to all. Today it is Senator Kogar; tomorrow it could be any of you,” the release stated, urging the Senate to protect the dignity of its chambers and members from executive overreach.
MDR is now formally calling on President Joseph Boakai and Senate Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence to launch an immediate investigation into Coleman’s conduct. Depending on findings, they want disciplinary action including suspension or dismissal. “His role is to serve and protect — a mandate that necessitates absolute respect for democratic institutions,” the group said, adding that Nimba citizens “remain vigilant” and will continue to stand behind their senator.
