The major suspect in the recent Capitol Building arson attack, Thomas Etheridge, and the prosecution team of the Government of Liberia are expected to face the Supreme Court today, Monday, January 20, 2025, as Chamber Justice Yamie Qui-qui Gbeisay seeks to hear contention between both sides.
The directive of the Chambers Justice said: “By directive of His Honor Yamie Qui-qui Gbeisay, Sr, Associate Justice presiding in Chambers, you are hereby cited to a conference with His Honor on Monday, January 20, 2025, at the hour of 10:00 am, in connection with the above captioned case.”
The Justice’s citation comes following a Prayer for a Writ of Prohibition filed by Montserrado County lead prosecutor, Cllr. Richard Scott, seeking the Chambers Justice to halt the release of the alleged arson suspect by Judge Koiboi Nuta of Criminal Court “B” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.
Recently, state prosecutors were seeking the Chambers Justice to overturn Judge Nuta’s ruling in the Habeas Corpus petition which saw Suspect Etheridge being released to his guarantors.
Cllr. Scott through the Ministry of Justice took Criminal Court “B” Judge to the Chambers Justice seeking to stop him from allowing the alleged Suspect in the Capitol Building fire incident from going to hospital by himself with his relatives because they cannot be trusted.
The Habeas Corpus petition filed by Thomas’ lawyers Cllrs. Elisha Forkeyoh and Jonathan Massaquoi came after the suspect was being held in detention for three days.
A Habeas Corpus petition is a writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or into court, especially to secure the person’s release, unless lawful grounds are shown for their detention.
Judge Nuta’s ruling in the Habeas Corpus case on Monday, January 13, released Thomas to his sureties to enable him to seek medical attention and return him to the court. But the state petition before Chambers Justice Gbeisay argued that Judge Nuta’s ruling went beyond the scope of the case before him.
According to the state, Judge Nuta was duly informed that there was a writ of arrest for Ethridge by the Monrovia City Court Magistrate Ben L. Barco and that he was at flight risk. But the Judge ruled to turn him over to a guarantors who are not neutral in the case.
Prosecuting attorneys filed a petition for a Writ of Prohibition against Judge Nuta and suspect Ethridge, something which has been interpreted as preventing the alleged suspect from going to hospital with his family.
Suspect Etheridge is said to be a staff member of the embattled House Speaker Fonati Koffa.
The Suspect was arrested on Friday, January 10, 2025, and taken to the Liberian National Police Headquarters for investigation in connection to the Capitol Building fire incident.
After spending three days in detention, his lawyers Cllrs. Forkeyoh and Massaquoi filed a petition for Habeas Corpus before Judge Nuta to compel the government to produce the living body of Ethridge in court.
The matter escalated as the suspect fainted after a Writ of Arrest from the Monrovia City Court was issued against him immediately following the Judge Nuta’s ruling to have him seek medical attention in the care of his family. Later, the suspect was held with his hands and feet by state security as he was taken away to hospital.
Before he collapsed, it is reported that Ethridge told his lawyers, Cllrs. Elisha Forkeyoh and Jonathan Massaquoi, of how he was interrogated by security personnel during his 3-day detention.
Suspect Ethridge revealed multiple instances of alleged abuse, coercion, and fabrication as his statement sheds light on the troubling interrogation methods used to extract confessions that he claims were false and made under force.
According to him, he was pressured to falsely admit his involvement in the Capitol Building Fire incident and other activities.
He said security personnel manipulated his statements by presenting recordings taken out of context.
Ethridge: “They made a statement that indicted me saying I called people to the Boss Man house from the CDC headquarters.”
He said authorities linked him to the fire incident by associating him with others, including Eric Susee and Amos Kofa, who were supposedly involved in the protest.
“Then they said you were with Janga Kowo. You were calling Kowo and others to meet at your boss’ place. I told them that the people who you are calling I don’t know them, I only hear their names. I don’t go to CDC party headquarters. Then, they brought in another guy’s statement. I have already stayed there from 11 am to 3 pm in the underground place. They threatened to sodomize me if I do not give them what they want,” the suspect narrated.
He refuted a statement where Eric Susee allegedly said he bought gas for the fire, a claim Eric later refuted, asserting that he was coerced into making the statement.
The suspect added that during his time in custody, security personnel used threats of violence and even physical abuse to coerce him into providing the answers they wanted; as such, after being subjected to physical abuse, he attempted to resist the fabricated narrative by providing his own version of events, which led to further beatings. The fire incident occurred on December 18, 2024, when the Rotunda of the Joint Chambers of the Liberian Legislature gutted by fire.
The incident came on the helm of an ongoing political turmoil of a power struggle at the House of Representatives between the majority bloc lawmakers led by Representative Richard Nagbe Koon and Minority Bloc in support of embattled Speaker J. Fonati Koffa. On January 8, 2025, during a press briefing, the Inspector General of Police Col. Gregory O. W. Coleman confirmed the fire incident as an act of arson.
The incident occurred a day after a protest was held at the Capitol Building, leading to the arrest of 73 individuals, including several others as persons of interest in connection with the attack. IG Coleman said that the incident was an act of arson with sufficient evidence gathered to support his conclusion as authorities seek to bring the perpetrators to justice.
