Africa-Press – Liberia. The Monrovia City Court decides today whether charges brought against five members of the House of Representatives, including former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, have merit under the law for prosecution in court.
The highly watched Capitol Building arson case involving former Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa and four sitting lawmakers have reached a pivotal stage, with the Monrovia City Court expected to rule today whether to dismiss the charges or refer the matter to Criminal Court ‘A’ for a full trial.
The case stems from a December 18, 2024, blaze that severely damaged part of the Capitol Building during a major legislative crisis. The accused lawmakers include Koffa and Representatives Dixon Seboe, Abu Kamara, and Jacob Debee II. All face multiple charges, including arson, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, attempted murder, criminal facilitation, and conspiracy, filed by the Liberia National Police.
Representative Priscilla Cooper waived her right to a preliminary hearing on Tuesday and requested a separate trial. Legal sources speculate that she could serve as a state witness.
On Thursday, June 12, the legal teams concluded a tense preliminary hearing before Stipendiary Magistrate Ben Barco. Koffa’s defense team argued for dismissal, citing a lack of direct evidence and claiming the prosecution relied heavily on social media content and third-party sources.
The prosecution, led by Solicitor General Cllr. Augustine C. Fayiah, County Attorney Richard Scott, and Cllr. Bobby Livingston, countered that the evidence, ranging from audio recordings to digital communications and witness testimonies, is sufficient to establish probable cause.
Magistrate Barco denied the defense’s motion to quash the evidence, stating:
“When the evidence has been testified to, there is no way the court can revert its decision.”
The defense team, led by former Associate Justice Walkins Wright and Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi, argued that none of the material evidence was obtained directly from the lawmakers or their devices. They pointed to a now-deleted social media post as a flawed basis, maintaining that “Evidence for conviction must be direct, not third-party.”
A turning point in the hearing came during the testimony of Inspector Johnson, who alleged that Koffa financed the arson plot.
He cited a now-deleted social media post that read “ALARMO,” which he claimed was a coded signal linked to the incident.
Johnson also introduced audio evidence allegedly containing Koffa’s voice discussing plans to set fire to the Capitol. While Koffa acknowledged the voice might be his, he denied any involvement in a criminal conspiracy.
Other lawmakers questioned the authenticity of the audio, calling it a deepfake or AI-generated fabrication.
Johnson further alleged that Rep. Seboe acted as the operational leader, while Rep. Kamara’s vehicles were used in the execution of the plot. Rep. Debee was guilty of criminal facilitation for failing to report the plan, according to Johnson.
The City Court is now poised to rule on whether the charges against the lawmakers have enough merit to move forward. Legal analysts say today’s decision could have significant implications for public confidence in the Liberian justice system, especially given the high-profile nature of the accused and the controversial use of digital and circumstantial evidence.
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