It has been nearly eight months since Liberia was shaken by one of its most serious political scandals in recent history -- the December 18, 2024 fire that tore through parts of the Capitol Building. Former House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, along with thirteen others including three sitting lawmakers, now stand indicted on multiple criminal charges in connection with the arson. After months of legal wrangling, the matter is finally coming to trial.
Judge Roosevelt Willie of Criminal Court "A" has scheduled today's proceedings to begin with the formal arraignment, during which the defendants will be required to enter their pleas -- either guilty or not guilty.
The defendants are expected to opt for a jury trial. Their lawyers have long expressed doubts about Judge Willie's impartiality, particularly after he initially set stringent conditions for bail. Although the judge did eventually approve bond for the indicted lawmakers, the defense believes his actions betrayed bias. Families of some of the accused claim that the judge's demands -- including seizure of expired national identification cards -- amount to discriminatory treatment. "This judge has already made up his mind. He is treating the defendants as guilty even before the trial begins," one relative said.
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The indictment itself is sweeping, containing nine charges: criminal attempt to commit murder, criminal mischief, criminal conspiracy, criminal facilitation, criminal solicitation, release of destructive forces, reckless burning or exploding, and reckless endangerment. Prosecutors allege that the December 18 blaze was not an accident, but the result of a carefully orchestrated plan devised the night before by Koffa and his associates.
Among the accused are Montserrado County Representatives Dixon W. Seboe (District #16) and Abu B. Kamara (District #15), as well as Grand Gedeh County Representative Jacob C. Deebie (District #3). The remaining defendants are: Kivi Bah, alias Kaba; Jerry Pokah, alias Tyrese; Stephen M. Broh; John Nyanti; Amos Koffa; Eric Susay; Thomas Isaac Etheridge; Patience Bestman; Harrilyn Grace Johnson; and Christian Kofa.
According to court filings, some members of the group obtained gasoline and other incendiary materials late on December 17. In the early hours of the following day, they allegedly carried out the attack on the Capitol, setting fire to the joint chambers, cutting electrical and electronic wiring, and destroying furniture. Damages are estimated at US$3.78 million. Prosecutors say the plot went further, with plans to use "tear gas and chlorine in the joint chambers to dislodge lawmakers from the majority bloc and prevent them from accessing the chamber for session."
The prosecution's case is bolstered by audio recordings said to capture the conspirators discussing their intentions. In one recording, co-defendant Eric Susay is heard telling Thomas Isaac Etheridge that "you and your co-defendants were in readiness to receive gasoline to commence the arson attack on the Capitol Building." In another, Susay allegedly recounts: "we dirty the police officer (Sgt. Amara Bility), and left him lying on the street, and have taken his service weapon away and gave it to former EPS officers." Susay is also heard, prosecutors claim, requesting funds to purchase more gasoline and prepare petrol bombs not only for the Capitol, but also for police officers, the RLJ Hotel -- where pro-Koffa legislators had gathered -- and lawmakers' vehicles.
The indictment ties the arson to a violent protest staged on December 17, the day before the blaze, against Koffa's removal by the legislative "Majority Bloc." That demonstration escalated into a riot, with stones and other objects hurled at police officers. During the chaos, Sergeant Amara Bility of the Liberia National Police was allegedly beaten unconscious and left for dead while en route to the National Elections Commission headquarters. His service weapon, a 9mm Beretta pistol, was reportedly stolen. Private property was also damaged, including a Toyota Prado SUV belonging to Deputy Director of the Liberia Aviation Authority, F. Augustine C. Tamba, valued at US$20,000.
For prosecutors, these acts fall squarely under Chapter 15 of Liberia's Penal Code, which deals with crimes against the public peace. The indictment concludes that the events of December 17-18 were "against the peace and dignity of the Republic of Liberia."
But even before today's arraignment, the pretrial proceedings have been contentious. Families of the defendants accused Judge Willie of violating Article 21 of the Constitution, which forbids excessive bail and guarantees release on personal recognizance or sufficient sureties except in capital cases. "After the judge approved the bond, we complied and presented ourselves as human sureties," one family member recounted. "But he asked for our passports and National Identification Cards. Then he rejected the ID cards because they had expired." Defense lawyers have since filed a motion demanding Judge Willie's recusal.
Complicating matters further, prosecutors allege that fraudulent property documents were submitted in an attempt to secure bail for some of the accused. During the August Term of Court, Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) Assistant Commissioner for Real Estate Tax James Afif Jabar testified that a property tax bill worth US$2.8 million submitted to the court was a forgery. "The Real Property Tax Bill and associated Statement of Property Valuation were forged and not generated by the official LRA system, and are hereby fraudulent, misleading and misrepresentation to the Court," Jabar said. He noted discrepancies in valuation, incorrect calculations of tax amounts, and even receipts that turned out to belong to unrelated transactions, including a US$20 passport fee from 2009. "This shows that property ID 25115 is fraudulent," he added.
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Judge Willie had recently approved a US$500,000 joint property valuation bond backed by sureties Randolph S. Cole and Rufina J. Cole for the defendants. However, the LRA's testimony that the supporting documents were false could further delay the defendants' release from jail, as the judge must now rule on the admissibility of the bond.
The fire at the Capitol, Liberia's seat of legislative power, shook public confidence in the rule of law and exposed the country's fragile democratic institutions. Opposition supporters have staged protests against the ongoing prosecution, accusing the government of a politically motivated witch-hunt.
At the same time, the prosecution insists it is pursuing justice in the face of an attack on the state itself. With today's arraignment, the nation will begin to see whether justice will prevail -- and whether the truth about the Capitol fire will finally be revealed.
