Liberia's lower house of parliament, the House of Representatives, has used its powers to send a government minister to jail for two nights.

Deputy Information Minister Eugene Fahngon was censured over misconduct after he was involved in a scuffle and then rained insults down onto two lawmakers.

Tough-talking Mr Fahngon was handcuffed and taken to the Monrovia Central Prison where he spent his first night on Wednesday.

The deputy minister had reportedly refused to honour an invitation from the House to explain the incident.

The recording of the minister’s vulgar language against the two legislators has been played and replayed on local radio stations here.

The decision to jail him was reached after hours of deliberation in the House of Representatives.

President George Weah will now have to decide whether the minister remains in government.