This is not Koon’s first attempt to block Speaker Koffa from accessing the main chambers and his office. Prior to the Court’s ruling on Koffa’s Bill of Information, Koon ordered a change of all locks to the chambers, forcibly entered the Speaker’s office.
Capitol Hill, Monrovia – In an act of defiance against the Supreme Court’s ruling, Rep. Richard Nagbe Koon has installed steel doors at the entrance of the main chamber officially recognized by the Court.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
This latest move comes after the Supreme Court nullified Koon’s claim to the speakership, declaring all actions undertaken by the Majority Bloc under his leadership—and that of Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah—unconstitutional. The Court ruled that any sitting held without Speaker J. Fonati Koffa presiding, while he was present and not incapacitated, lacked legitimacy.
This is not Koon’s first attempt to block Speaker Koffa from accessing the main chambers and his office. Prior to the Court’s ruling on Koffa’s Bill of Information, Koon ordered a change of all locks to the chambers, forcibly entered the Speaker’s office, removed Koffa’s personal belongings, and installed his own, from where he continues to operate.
Additionally, Koon ordered police officers and House staff to forcibly break into Rep. Yekeh Kolubah’s vehicle after Kolubah parked in the Speaker’s designated space at the Capitol Building.
The main chamber that Koon has now sealed was a central point in the legal battle between Koffa and the Majority Bloc. In October 2024, the Majority Bloc, emboldened by its numbers, relocated to the Joint Chambers. There, Deputy Speaker Fallah presided over a parallel session where the Bloc declared the Speaker’s seat vacant and elected Koon as their new leader. Koon had previously been defeated by Koffa during the election of House leadership in January 2024.
With backing from the Executive Branch, the Majority Bloc stripped Speaker Koffa of security and other amenities, seized control of House bank accounts at the Central Bank of Liberia and commercial banks, suspended lawmakers loyal to Koffa, and took control of the national draft budget submitted by the Executive.
Koffa and his allies challenged the Majority Bloc’s actions at the Supreme Court. In a landmark decision, Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh ruled that the actions of the Majority Bloc were unconstitutional, asserting that the authority of the Speaker cannot be removed when he is present and not incapacitated, and any proceedings under such conditions lack legitimacy.
Despite the Court’s ruling, Koon and his supporters have refused to comply. Koon dismissed the Court’s decision as an “atrocious and audacious violation” of the constitutional separation of powers, maintaining that his removal of Koffa was done legally under Article 49 of the Constitution and House Rule 9(a).
He further declared that the House, under his leadership, would continue its operations without recognizing the Supreme Court’s authority.
“No opinion or judgment of the Supreme Court can or will expunge or erase this Resolution from the annals of the House of Representatives,” Koon said defiantly. “Plenary shall continue to conduct the business of the House of Representatives without any deference or regard to the Supreme Court’s opinion and judgment.”
The Majority Bloc’s defiance has fueled fears of a constitutional crisis. Some of its members, including Representative James Kolleh of Bong County, have even hinted at possible impeachment proceedings against Supreme Court justices, accusing them of judicial overreach.
The Supreme Court’s ruling was widely expected to bring closure to the months-long leadership standoff, which has paralyzed the legislative process and eroded public confidence in Liberia’s governance. However, with Koon’s continued defiance, uncertainty hangs over the future of the House and Liberia’s broader democratic stability.
