-- As Speaker gains ground against mutineers, Rep. Williams pushes back, describing US$25k bribery allegation as "diversionary tactics"
Maryland County District Two Lawmaker, Representative Anthony Williams, has vowed to ensure that he and the majority bloc members of the House of Representatives remove Representative J. Fonati Koffa as Speaker. Williams accused Speaker Koffa of desecrating the sacredness and sanity of the highest office of the Legislature, and as such, it is time that he was removed.
"Speaker Koffa and his team can say as much as they would like against the majority bloc members but he will eventually be removed," the Pleebo-Sodoken District #2 lawmaker said in an interview over the weekend.
Thursday, October 17, 2024, was a day of drama at the Capitol building as a group of lawmakers attempted to remove House Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa, but their efforts were met with resistance from pro-Koffa lawmakers, thus resulting in insults, finger-pointing, violence, and chaos.
Forty-eight members of the opposed group of lawmakers initially signed a resolution to remove Speaker Koffa from office, accusing him of serving as legal counsel for several major concessions in Liberia as well as public corporations; a move they claim violates the Constitution of Liberia and the Code of Conduct for public officials.
There are reports that 7 out of the 47 Representatives have already rescinded their signatures and expressed regrets on Thursday, few hours after Bong County District #2 Representative James Kolleh read the petition in front of the Capitol pending subsequent submission to the Chief Clerk to form part of this week's agenda.
"Thirty-eight of you have decided to pursue the removal of the speaker," Nimba County District #7 Representative Musa H. Bility wrote on his Facebook page on Sunday, October 20. "However, you will need eleven more votes to achieve your goal. Please present your case in the Chamber of the House of Representatives, where we conduct the business of the House. Posting these pictures is not sufficient. Please demonstrate that you have the determination to ensure your objectives are met within the legal framework established by our Constitution. Be men and women of courage. Let's face each other face to face, men to men, women to women."
In an earlier post, Bility noted: "We are fully aware of your history of coercing speakers to resign, but that ends here. If you intend to oust Fonati Koffa as Speaker, you will need to rally 49 or more lawmakers in the House of Representatives to legitimately exercise their authority for his removal. Any actions taken without this majority will merely serve to inflate your egos. In the past, your tactics may have succeeded because there were few willing to stand against you. However, today, we have courageous individuals ready to hold you accountable and demand respect for the rule of law. Remember: THE LAW IS THE LAW."
The situation took a surprising turn when one of the dissenting lawmakers, Representative Luther Collins of Gbarpolu County, confessed that he and other signatories were bribed with US$25,000 each to support the resolution, with US$15,000 paid upfront. Displaying a large sum of cash in a video, Rep. Collins said he joined the group only to expose their corrupt plan. He claimed no intention of supporting the Speaker's removal.
Following Representative Collins' shocking confession, calls for an investigation into the alleged bribery have intensified. Senator Darius Dillon voiced his concerns on social media, stating that while lawmakers have the right to choose their leaders, the bribery allegations must be investigated.
Many Liberians have expressed outrage over the alleged bribery, calling for further investigation and potential sanctions for those involved. On social media, some are urging the United States to intervene and take action against any lawmakers implicated in the scandal.
Rep. Williams, however, described the US$25k bribery allegation as a "diversionary tactic" intended to sway the public attention from the core issues for which the majority members seek to remove the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
According to him, the signature on the resolution is his, and he maintained and acknowledged his signature, unlike other lawmakers who are distancing themselves from their signatures. The Maryland County Representative further clarified that at no time, a dime was dished out to lawmakers for the Speaker's removal, rather, they (48 lawmakers who signed) were operating by their conviction and the Speaker's action of desecrating that honorable body's highest office.
He continued: "Bribery is a crime under Liberian Laws. Chapter 9 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials and Chapter 12 of the Penal Law: classify bribery as a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. The 1986 Constitution of Liberia also makes bribery a ground for Justices of the Supreme Court and the President and other public officials to be removed from office. So being fully cognizant of the implications of the laws, supra, I, Anthony F. Williams, Representative of the great people of Pleebo-Sodoken District Two, Maryland County have never and will never receive corrupt money for the execution of my legislative duties and any other functions; whoever is spinning this negative narrative is swimming in the pool of falsehood."
Representative Williams, speaking on the ongoing removal saga, further noted that on the issue of the content of the resolution, they are uncompromising and unbending. "Speaker Koffa will have to vacate the office. He no longer enjoys the confidence of the majority of his colleagues. And his efforts, through surrogates and stooges to bring us (his colleagues) to public disrepute, is meaningless." We encourage the Speaker to gracefully vacate the office of Speaker, rather than having us remove him through legislative force."
"Representative Koffa has undermined the authority of the legislature to carry out its duty of oversight; especially for being the lawyer for most public corporations, and also for being in the constant habit of strangulating Legislative Committees," Representative Williams asserted.
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The Maryland County lawmaker further insisted that Speaker Koffa should step down immediately to preserve the independence of the House of Representatives as well as maintain the credibility of the House of Representatives.
Amid the unfolding political crisis, former President George Weah issued a statement condemning the efforts to remove Speaker Koffa. He accused the Unity Party-led government, under President Joseph Boakai, of orchestrating a "criminal effort" to undermine democratic institutions by allegedly using government funds to influence the Speaker's removal. The former President warned that such action threatens the integrity of Liberia's legislative process and sets a dangerous precedent for governance.
This is not the first time lawmakers have sought to remove a sitting Speaker from office. In January 2007, former Speaker Edwin Melvin Snowe was removed following bribery allegations, even though the Supreme Court later reinstated him, ruling that the removal was unconstitutional, former Speaker Snowe, was however, still removed from office.
Similarly, in 2016, former Speaker Jenekai Alex Tyler was ousted after 49 members of the House of Representatives signed a resolution calling for his removal. The House of Representatives has 73 members, and a two-thirds majority (49 lawmakers) is required to remove the Speaker under Article 49 of the Liberian Constitution.
