Gyude Bryant
| Gyude Bryant | |
|---|---|
Gyude Bryant
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| Chairman of the Transitional Government of Liberia | |
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In office 14 October 2003 – 16 January 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Moses Blah |
| Succeeded by | Ellen Johnson Sirleaf |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 January 1949 |
| Died | 16 April 2014 (aged 65) Monrovia, Liberia |
| Nationality | Liberian |
| Political party | Liberian Action Party |
Charles Gyude Bryant (17 January 1949 – 16 April 2014) was a Liberian politician and businessman. He served as the Chairman of the Transitional Government of Liberia from 14 October 2003 to 16 January 2006. The installation of the transitional government was part of the peace agreement to end the country's second civil war, which had raged since the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebelled against President Charles Taylor in 1999. Bryant was previously a businessman and was chosen as chairman because he was seen as politically neutral and therefore acceptable to each of the warring factions, which included LURD, the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), and loyalists of former President Taylor. He is a prominent member of the Episcopal Church of Liberia, and was critical of the governments of Samuel Doe (1980–90) and Taylor (1997–2003).
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf won the 2005 elections and took office in January 2006, succeeding Bryant.
He died on 16 April 2014 at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia.
In January 2007, Bryant was questioned by police regarding allegations of corruption during his time in office. On 27 February 2007, Bryant was charged with embezzlement. His government is alleged to have embezzled more than US$1 million. On 12 March a warrant was issued for his arrest. He was not immediately arrested because he was said to be absent from Monrovia and in Lofa County instead, but on 13 March he was arrested and released on bond shortly thereafter. In court on 25 April, the defense argued that Bryant constitutionally enjoyed immunity for actions taken as head of state, while the prosecution argued that he did not because his appointment resulted from the Accra Accords in August 2003 and occurred outside the constitutional framework. On 24 August 2007, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the prosecution's argument, enabling Bryant's trial to continue.
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