Sources closed to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General-designate, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr., have described his vision for the legal and security sector as remarkable, popular and doable.
As the nation awaits his confirmation by the Senate, the Hot Pepper has been reliably told that the renowned Liberian lawyer intends to, among other things, push for the construction of a justice and security complex that would host the Ministry of Justice and three of its affiliated security entities, to include the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS), and the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
The idea of the construction of a justice and security complex is to provide spacious and conducive working environment, and to bring into close proximity the security entities with related works and activities in order to, among other things, ensure coordination, consultation and easy access.
Cllr. Kruah is said to have long held the vision of making some impactful contributions to the improvement of the country’s legal and security architecture if given the opportunity to serve in a position of authority, and so, those who know him and his desire to make a difference now see his nomination by President Boakai as that perfect opportunity to actualize his long-held dream—if confirmed.
Considering the current economic situation of the country, coupled with competing priorities, Cllr. Kruah is said to be counting on the attraction of international goodwill based on cooperation and enhanced reforms and accountability to acquire fundings for the construction of the complex.
According to sources, Cllr. Kruah also seeks to enhance performance and improve the working conditions of county attorneys and prosecutors by providing them with the needed logistical support, training and incentives at all times.
“He’s a result-oriented and disciplined performer whose commitment to duties and responsibilities cannot be questioned. He means what he says and says what he means,” one source asserted.
The Justice Minister and Attorney General-designate is also said to be keen on addressing the problem of overcrowded prisons and pre-trial detainees spending unlawful times in jail without being attended to, a major violation of fundamental human rights.
One other issue of serious public concern that the Attorney General-designate desires to tackle, according to highly placed sources, is uniformity in the security sector.
He is said to have strong desire and commitment to strengthen regulations that distinguish the various security agencies by their different uniforms to avoid duplication, impersonation and vulnerability.
Cllr. Copper Kruah is credited for making significant improvements at the Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications between 2018 and 2023, in the areas of structural facelift, restoration of basic services such as the lockbox and postal address systems, e-government service, efficient delivery of parcels, postal stamp regime, and the payment of thousands of dollars Liberia owed to international postal organizations in decades, among others.
Sources at the Senate have indicated that the confirmation hearing of Cllr. Kruah would take place this week, and he could officially take office any time soon, along with other key nominees of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.