The Supreme Court has effectively held back a ruling that could end months of paralysis in the politically charged Capitol Building arson trial, with justices weighing whether to reconstitute the jury panel and allow Criminal Court "A" to resume proceedings against former House Speaker, Jonathan Fonati Koffa and four sitting lawmakers.
The high court's pending decision follows a writ of prohibition filed by Koffa and co-defendants challenging Criminal Court "A" Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie's controversial move to disband the jury empaneled last November. If the Supreme Court denies the writ, Judge Willie's order stands and a new jury must be seated. If the writ is granted, the original panel remains and the trial resumes where it left off.
The case -- one of Liberia's most closely watched in decades -- stems from the December 18, 2024 fire that gutted sections of the Capitol Building in Monrovia. Prosecutors allege the blaze was an "orchestrated act of arson" targeting Liberia's democratic institutions. 20a5
Former Speaker Koffa, Representatives Dixon W. Seboe, Abu B. Kamara, Jacob C. B. Debbie, and others were indicted by a Montserrado County Grand Jury on charges including arson, criminal mischief, conspiracy, intent to commit murder, and illegal possession of a firearm. All defendants pleaded not guilty when the indictment was read in open court on November 17, 2025.
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Jury selection began November 18, 2025, but the process unraveled within weeks. Judge Willie removed juror Antoinette Mulbah over her role as a Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) coordinator in Montserrado County District #13, citing potential bias. The defense blasted the removal as "unprecedented, unconstitutional, and dangerous for the integrity of jury trials in Liberia".
Tensions escalated when prosecutors later moved to dissolve the entire jury, arguing that jurors violated their oath by consulting among themselves and forming premature opinions. The state cited a December 22 incident in which a juror questioned the identity of a man in video evidence, remarking he "looked like a Chinese man and not Etheridge," one of the accused. 1ea9
Defense lawyers countered that the motion to disband "effectively concedes that its case is unraveling".
Koffa himself told reporters: "Wherever they take this case, we will still win it because the evidence is on our side... What I am not willing to accept are delays or procedural games meant to prolong the process".
This is not the first time the Supreme Court has intervened. In September 2025, Associate Justice Jamesetta Howard Wolokolie ordered a temporary stay of proceedings after the defense filed a writ of certiorari challenging Judge Willie's denial of a motion to suppress evidence allegedly obtained through torture. That stay was lifted on October 8, 2025, when Justice Wolokolie declined to issue the alternative writ, directing Criminal Court "A" to continue "in keeping with law".
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The jury issue landed back at the high court in March 2026. Associate Justice Yussif D. Kaba ordered Judge Willie to appear for a conference on March 5 and imposed an "immediate halt and freeze" on all Capitol arson trial proceedings pending review of the writ of prohibition.
The petition argues Judge Willie's decision to disband the jury was "illegal and inconsistent with established law" and "potentially detrimental to the fairness of the trial".
Justice Kaba's chambers have since reserved the ruling. Legal observers say the decision "could shape the next phase of the trial". Granting the writ would reinstate the original jurors and fast-track resumption. Denying it would force the court to empanel a new jury, likely delaying proceedings for months and raising fresh constitutional questions about double jeopardy and fair trial rights.
Prosecutors accuse Rep. Seboe of being the "alleged architect of the conspiracy;" Rep. Kamara of providing financial support; and Koffa of having "advance knowledge" and participating in a chat group where the plot was discussed.
The defense has challenged the legality of phone evidence, arguing investigators accessed data before obtaining a valid search warrant on January 9, 2025. They also allege defendants were held at NSA headquarters for eight days without counsel.
