MONROVIA – The Inspector General of the Liberia National Police, Col. Gregory Coleman, has strongly refuted bribery allegations made by John Nyanti, a key defendant in the December 18, 2024 arson attack on the Liberian Capitol Building. Addressing journalists on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT), IG Coleman dismissed Nyanti’s claims that the Government of Liberia offered him over US$200,000 in exchange for false testimony.
“At no time did the Liberia National Police meet Nyanti to bribe him, as being speculated,” Coleman stated. “Through the Ghanaian Government and a family member, we coordinated his return because they said he should come serve as a witness. But we all know that a cooperative witness can be dangerous, so we brought him back and charged him accordingly.”
Nyanti, who was extradited to Liberia from Ghana, had earlier appeared before the Monrovia City Court on Wednesday, June 18, where he stunned court observers by accusing the government of attempting to bribe him to falsely implicate former House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa in the arson attack. “You say you have evidence, but then you want to give me two hundred thousand dollars to lie on Koffa?” Nyanti said in remarks to judiciary reporters outside the courtroom.
The Capitol Building fire, which occurred on December 18, 2024, caused significant damage to sections of the Legislature. Authorities believe Nyanti played a central role in the arson and fled the country shortly after the incident via the Lugatuo border into Ivory Coast.
IG Coleman, however, maintained that Nyanti’s return to Liberia was coordinated strictly through official channels. “They made requests that we couldn’t honor, and at no time did we pressure him to lie on any of the defendants,” he emphasized, pushing back against assertions that law enforcement sought to manipulate the case for political ends.
Adding to the controversy, Nyanti’s family has also alleged that state agents offered him US$50,000 and a promise of relocation to Europe if he would implicate Koffa and three other lawmakers in the incident. These claims have sparked widespread concern over possible political interference in the case.
The government has yet to issue a formal statement responding to the allegations. However, the episode has raised fresh questions about the integrity of the Boakai administration’s justice apparatus and whether criminal proceedings are being used to settle political scores.
Observers say the unfolding drama surrounding Nyanti’s accusations could further complicate the high-profile case and intensify public scrutiny. As legal proceedings advance, pressure continues to mount on the government and its security apparatus to maintain transparency and ensure justice without political bias.
