Former Speaker, Cllr Fonati Koffa (plaintiff), has filed a lawsuit before the Civil Law Court, alleging libel and slander by the Bukonjedeh Group of Companies and its Chief Executive Officer, Elton Johns, defendants.
Cllr. Koffa, who is seeking US$4,000,000 and US$500,000, in special and general damages, accuses the defendants of damaging his reputation through an allegedly baseless publication on the Punch FM Radio, a local station (Publicly identified as aligned with the Ruling Unity Party), that he "owes" the defendants US$12,500 from July 2024 to date and refused to pay.
"The defendants be held severally and jointly liable to the plaintiff and order them, (defendants), to pay the amount of US$4,000,000, as special damages representing loss of the plaintiff's income from his business relationships that have been terminated as a result of defendant's injurious publication," the suit alleges. It adds, "defendants be held severely and jointly liable to the plaintiff and order them (Defendants), to pay to the plaintiff an amount of US$500,000, as general damages."
In his complaint, Koffa detailed how the accusations, described as" malicious, public campaign of falsehoods," is extreme and outrageous, intentionally and recklessly causing severe emotional distress to him, the Plaintiff.
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The lawsuit, however, claims that the defendants direct conduct, he has been subjected to hatred, mockery and public ridicule for which, he suffers emotional distress, mental anguish and psychological torture.
According to the court's document, on or about August 14, 2025, Elton Johns appeared on Punch FM/radio, a local station (Publicly identified as aligned with the Ruling Unity Party) and stated inter alia that plaintiff "owes me US$12, 500.00) from July 2024 to date and refused to pay".
"A statement that he knows to be false but was made with glee and reckless abandon," the suit further claims.
The suit claims that Mr. Johns knowing the statements to be false went on to further publish these reckless and baseless statements on Facebook and other social and national media platforms, which were and continue to be accessible to the Liberian public and the international audience.
"The statement issued is a malicious libel calculated to expose Plaintiff to hatred, contempt and public ridicule within his community, amongst his peers and family members," according to the lawsuit.
It went on, that the said false and reckless statement has subjected Plaintiff to criminal sanctions, because, under our law, practice and procedure within this Jurisdiction, a person is guilty of the crime of theft when he/she/they steal, as it is alleged by the defendants.
Moreover, the suit claims, that to allege or defame a person of such through writings and publications is libel, especially if it wrongfully tarnishes the name and character of another without evidence or iota of truth.
The suit noted that, at the time of the publication, defendants knew the statements were false and acted in reckless disregard of the truth and with actual malice and personal animus toward the plaintiff.
Insinuating that the defendant's reckless comments, stems directly from the loss of the free office space at the Capitol Building, that they once enjoyed, as well as the curtailment of usurious lending practices to Capitol building staff, which happened, during plaintiff's tenure as Speaker of the House.
During this period, the suit claims, when Bukonjedeh was required to cease charging unlawful, excessive interest to employees and to pay rent for any space used in the building.
The court document, however, alleges that, as a direct and proximate result of defendants' publications, plaintiff suffered severe reputational harm, emotional distress, and pecuniary loss, including the termination of business relationships.
"Defendants' statements are not privileged, and were made to third parties, and have been widely disseminated on local, national broadcast and social media," according to Koffa's suit. "These false statements concerning plaintiff; such statements impute dishonesty and serious financial misconduct, injuring plaintiff in his profession and public office."
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The publications, the suit claims, were made with actual malice and with utter reckless disregard for the truth.
"The statements are defamatory per se as they tend to injure Plaintiff in his profession and expose him to public contempt," adding, "Defendants' statements, squarely falls within this category as his reckless utterances have exposed the Plaintiff to widespread ridicule, reputational harm and loss of professional esteem both locally and internationally."
According to the suit, the defendant's actions are orchestrated to defame, shame, ridicule, embarrass the plaintiff's name, character, face, reputation to person(s) given him recognition in society, because he enjoyed valid prospective and existing business relationships
"Defendants intentionally and improperly interfered by publishing false statements calculated to cause third parties to terminate or refrain from dealing with Plaintiff, producing actual economic loss," the suit alleges.
