Rep. Kamara, flanked by former Speaker Koffa being escorted to the Monrovia Central Prison after Kamara’s request for medical dispensation was denied.
Monrovia – Monrovia City Court Judge Ben Barco has granted a medical dispensation to Montserrado County District #5 Representative Prescilla Cooper (Unity Party), following a request by her legal team. However, a similar appeal made on behalf of Representative Abu Kamara (CDC, District #15, Montserrado County) was denied, despite claims that he was suffering from high blood pressure while in detention.
By Willie N. Tokpah
FPA gathered that police also released Cooper Friday night, while the four lawmakers from the CDC were stayed.
Although Cooper’s release was officially attributed to health concerns, critics have questioned whether her recent political alignment with the ruling Unity Party-led Majority Bloc may have influenced the police and court’s decision—an allegation they have not publicly addressed.
Representative Cooper was briefly seen on the grounds of the Temple of Justice in Monrovia on Saturday, June 7, but left before her colleagues were escorted under tight security to the Monrovia Central Prison.
On the same day, Judge Barco ordered the incarceration of four sitting lawmakers, including former House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, in connection with the December 2024 fire that engulfed a section of the Capitol Building amid a bitter leadership struggle in the Legislature.
Five lawmakers were initially detained at the Liberia National Police (LNP) Headquarters following their arraignment on multiple felony charges. However, Cooper was later granted a medical exemption after reportedly collapsing while in custody.
The remaining four lawmakers—Cllr. Fonati Koffa (District #2, Grand Kru County), Dixon Seboe (District #16, Montserrado County), Abu Kamara (District #15, Montserrado County), and Jacob Debee II (District #3, Grand Gedeh County)—were transferred from the Monrovia City Court to the Monrovia Central Prison after spending the night at LNP Headquarters.
They face an array of serious charges, including arson, criminal mischief, criminal facilitation, reckless endangerment, attempted murder, and criminal conspiracy. The charges stem from their alleged involvement in the fire that severely damaged one wing of the Capitol Building in December 2024.
During Saturday’s court appearance, no formal pleas were entered. The prosecution requested the continued detention of the accused pending further investigation, while defense attorneys are reportedly preparing motions for bail and legal challenges.
The court’s decision to remand the lawmakers has sparked widespread public debate. While some have praised it as a necessary move toward accountability, others see it as potentially politically motivated, raising fresh concerns about judicial independence in Liberia.
Legal experts believe the case could become a defining test for Liberia’s democratic institutions, given the high profiles of those involved and the gravity of the charges.
Former Speaker Koffa, a constitutional lawyer, responded briefly to journalists at the Temple of Justice on Saturday, stating that he had used the toothbrush he brought with him on Friday while in detention at the LNP Headquarters and that he was “headed to South Beach”—a reference to the Monrovia Central Prison.
Court proceedings are expected to continue in the coming week, with national and international observers closely monitoring what may become one of Liberia’s most politically sensitive trials.
FrontPage Africa will continue to provide in-depth coverage and timely updates as the case unfolds.
