Monrovia, Liberia – Suspended Deputy Minister Bryant McGill has publicly declared his innocence following what he called the Liberia National Police’s (LNP) “complete acquittal,” ending months of public unrest over a rape charge that was first brought against him in August 2025.
During a news conference on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, McGill informed reporters that a comprehensive police investigation, which included due process and forensic assessment, had not turned up any evidence to back up the accusation.
He said that after returning to Liberia from the United States on August 8, 2025, the results unequivocally exonerated him of any wrongdoing and verified that he never had contact with the purported victim. “The investigation found no facts, no forensics, and no circumstances to substantiate the claim,” McGill said. “I was formally exonerated by the Liberia National Police.”
In response to a significant part of the accusation, McGill denied that an incident took place at his office at the SKD Sports Complex on Saturday, August 30, 2025. He emphasized that it was a non-working day, that he did not visit the complex, and that he cannot personally access his office without the presence of two designated staff members.
McGill added, nevertheless, that he spent the whole day at Alpha Field with a number of prominent people, whom he identified as witnesses, before going back home and not leaving again until the following day. “These facts are verifiable. You be the judge.”
McGill criticized what he described as a protracted “public trial and moral condemnation” that ruined his family and reputation in spite of the police conclusions. He called on youth organizations, women’s organizations, and international partners, like as UNICEF, UN Women, and well-known Liberian women leaders, to accept the police findings and to defend justice and due process.
“Justice must not be selective. Women’s rights must not be politicized or weaponized, and innocence must not be ignored once facts are established,” McGill said.
McGill reaffirmed his support for women’s and children’s safety while cautioning that false accusations degrade real survivors and diminish public trust in the legal system when they are confirmed. He made it clear that he would uphold the rule of law and actively cooperated with investigators. McGill thanked those who had refrained from passing judgment and urged others who had convicted him too soon to consider the evidence.
Along with expressing compassion for the accused victim and her family, he said that a legitimate investigation should finally lead to justice. “The truth has spoken. History will record it accurately,” he said.
Reported by: Prince Saah
