MONROVIA, Oct. 27 -- Liberia's Justice Minister-designate, Cllr. Betty Lamin Blamo, has pledged that the state's power to prosecute will not be turned into a weapon against political opponents or a shield for friends of those in power, whether in the public or the private sector.

By Obediah Johnson

Appearing before the Liberian Senate for her confirmation hearing on Monday, October 26, Blamo acknowledged that fear of selective prosecution is widely held among Liberians, and said no case would be prosecuted for reasons outside the law.

"I am not unaware of concerns expressed in the press, at the bar, and in ordinary homes that the prosecutorial power of the state can be sharpened against opponents and [used as a] shield for friends. I t...