Africa-Press – Liberia. Monrovia-Prosecution in the Capitol arson trial on Monday, December 29, formally applied for the disbandment of the entire jury, citing alleged juror misconduct and lack of impartiality, an action the defense says underscores the state’s failure to prove its case against former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and his co-defendants.
The motion was made on the 41st day of jury sitting during the November Term of Criminal Court “A,” as prosecutors argued that the current venire of jurors had become “contaminated” and incapable of rendering an independent verdict.
The application comes amid growing public scrutiny and mounting contradictions in the prosecution’s own evidence.
Defense lawyers, however, characterized the request as a desperate attempt to salvage a case already weakened by inconsistent testimony, disputed forensic claims, and video evidence that jurors themselves openly questioned in court.
The Capitol arson case stems from the December 2024 fire at the Capitol Building in Monrovia, which damaged parts of the joint chambers and sparked national outrage.
The government charged several defendants, including former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, alleging conspiracy and involvement in the attack.
From the outset, the case has been politically sensitive, given Koffa’s prominence and the broader implications for Liberia’s democratic institutions.
Over weeks of testimony, the prosecution leaned heavily on the Liberia National Police’s lead investigator, Chief Superintendent Rafael A. Wilson, and on video footage purporting to show events linked to the arson.
But under cross-examination, Wilson’s testimony repeatedly conflicted with his own written investigative report, weakening the credibility of the state’s narrative.
Those weaknesses became more apparent during juror questioning.
In its submission, the prosecution claimed that jurors violated their oath by consulting among themselves while questioning the state’s first witness and by allegedly forming opinions before the close of evidence.
Prosecutors cited an incident on December 22, when a juror requested the replay of a November 10, 2024 video and later remarked in open court that a person shown in the footage “looked like a Chinese man and not Etheridge,” one of the accused.
According to prosecutors, that comment demonstrated premature judgment and bias, warranting the dissolution of the entire panel and the empaneling of a new jury.
Legal observers note, however, that juror questions and skepticism, especially in a long and complex trial, are not uncommon, and that the prosecution’s grievance appears rooted less in misconduct than in jurors openly interrogating the strength of the evidence presented.
Defense has argued that the prosecution motion is an “Admission of Failure,” and effectively concedes that its case is unraveling.
Supporters of former Speaker Koffa contend that the trial has increasingly appeared politically motivated, pointing to the absence of direct evidence linking him to the arson and to the reliance on speculative inferences rather than concrete proof.
The prosecution’s request places the court at a crossroads.
Granting the motion could mean restarting one of the country’s most closely watched trials, further delaying justice and raising constitutional concerns about double jeopardy and fair trial rights.
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