An embarrassing legal blunder occurred on Saturday, June 7, in the Monrovia City Court, when lawyers representing former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and three other lawmakers, who are suspects in a fire that gutted parts of the Capitol, last December. Charged with arson, the suspects appeared in the courtroom without a bond for the case, described as an attack on the country’s democracy.
This triggered a wave of awkwardness and caused the court to order them (lawmakers) immediately remanded at the Monrovia Central Prison, where they (lawmakers) would remain unless their lawyers could correct their errors and try to file the requisite criminal appearance bond.
Koffa, together with Jacob Debee of Grand Gedeh County District 2, Dixon Seboe of Montserrado County District #16, and Abu Kamara of Montserrado County District #15, were charged on Friday, June 5, a day ahead of their appearance in court.
This, according to legal practitioners, provided enough opportunity for the lawyers to have procured the bail that would have prevented their clients from being detained, since these crimes are bailable.
Though the lawyers’ motive is yet to be established, other legal practitioners believe that they anticipated that the court would have released the suspects on a personal recognizance bond, which allows a defendant to be released from jail without posting bail. Being released on your own recognizance means you promise to appear in court without additional bond conditions.
According to the police investigation, compelling evidence linked the lawmakers to the orchestration and financing of the attack, including Representatives Jonathan Fonati Koffa, Dixon Seboe, and Jacob C. Debee.
“Hon. Jonathan Fonati Koffa (Former Speaker of the House of Representatives): Investigators found credible links to sabotage efforts dating back to November 2024,” the court records allege.
Therefore, Koffa, the document noted, is “charged under the Revised Penal Code of Liberia, Criminal Conspiracy (Chapter 10, Section 10.4).”
Rep. Abu Kamara and Rep. Jacob C. Debee, the police claim, participated in planning meetings and facilitated logistical support. They are “charged under the Revised Penal Code of Liberia: Arson (Chapter 15, Section 15.1); Criminal Mischief (Chapter 15, Section 15.5); Recklessly Endangering Another Person (Chapter 14, Section 14.23); Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder (Chapter 10, Section 10.1); Criminal Facilitation (Chapter 10, Section 10.2); Criminal Solicitation (Chapter 10, Section 10.3); and Criminal Conspiracy (Chapter 10, Section 10.4)
The investigation also claimed that the destruction of the Capitol’s Joint Chambers represents a direct assault on the foundation of Liberia’s democracy and governance.
“The suspects identified are currently being held at Monrovia Central Prison awaiting trial, with prosecution proceeding under full adherence to due process,” the police added.
The Liberia National Police has urged all citizens to remain calm, peaceful, and vigilant while supporting national security efforts. Let this serve as a clear message: the LNP will not tolerate any act that threatens public safety or the integrity of our national institutions.
