MONROVIA – A heavy police presence continues to lock down the Monrovia Central Prison, commonly known as South Beach, where four current members of Liberia’s House of Representatives are being held in pretrial detention. The lawmakers were incarcerated on Saturday, June 7, 2025, in connection with the controversial Capitol arson case that occurred on December 18, 2024.
Among those jailed are former Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, Abu Kamara and Dixon Seboe of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), and Jacob Debee of the opposition Liberian National Union (LINU). Their imprisonment has triggered growing national concern over political tensions, judicial fairness, and the use of state power in legal matters involving high-profile politicians.
For a second consecutive day, the lawmakers spent the night behind bars at South Beach, while the police maintained tight security around the facility. The Ministry of Justice has leveled serious charges against them, including Arson, Criminal Mischief, Criminal Facilitation, Reckless Endangerment, Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder, and Criminal Conspiracy. These charges stem from the fire that engulfed parts of the Capitol building in December, causing significant damage and raising alarms about possible sabotage.
The legal proceedings have been met with both domestic and international scrutiny, with critics accusing the Boakai administration of weaponizing the justice system to neutralize political opponents. Supporters of the accused argue that the investigation has been politically motivated, particularly as calls intensify for transparency over illegal budgetary transactions and missing public funds which, they claim, have received far less attention.
Meanwhile, supporters and constituents of the detained lawmakers have begun mobilizing for peaceful protests and legal defense initiatives. With public trust in Liberia’s justice system hanging in the balance, the outcome of this high-profile case could shape the nation’s political and democratic trajectory in the months ahead.
