Former Home Speaker Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa and his three Codefendants have tasted preliminary victory right here within the ongoing Capitol Constructing Arson case, because the Monrovia Metropolis Court docket denies prosecution’s exception to their surety bond filed earlier than the courtroom lately.
By Lincoln G. Peters
Monrovia, Liberia; June 27, 2025 – Within the ongoing Capitol Constructing Arson case, the Stipendiary Justice of the Peace of the Monrovia Metropolis Court docket, L. Ben Barco, has handed down an preliminary defeat to the Authorities right here, ruling in favor of former Home Speaker Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa and his three Codefendants denying the prosecution’s exception to the surety bond filed by the defendants.
The Metropolis Court docket’s ruling is in adherence to a mandate from Legal Court docket “A,” instructing the Court docket to listen to the prosecution’s exceptions to the bond and decide its sufficiency.
Previous to the case being forwarded to the Legal Court docket, the prosecution filed a movement earlier than the Metropolis Court docket, praying the courtroom to find out the surety of the felony look bond, and to have the defendant rearrested – if the surety to bond offered by the previous home speaker and his co-defendants had been inadequate to have them bailed out of the Monrovia Central Jail, whereas the case unfolds on the felony courtroom.
Following a mandate from the presiding choose of Legal Court docket “A” – His Honor, Rosevelt Z. Willie, for the Metropolis Court docket to find out the sufficiency of the defendants’ US$2.24 million bail bond, the Metropolis Court docket on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, heard arguments within the bond justification and on Thursday, June 26, 2025 dominated that the Court docket is glad with the properties supplied to safe the felony look bond are real and bonafide. Due to this fact, the exception to the Legal Look Bond filed by Prosecution is denied, and the movement to justify is granted.
“This Court docket, having established that the sureties are licensed by regulation to function sureties on a felony look bond, and the bond earlier than Court docket not being an indemnity bond, and matched with the truth that Defendants are all members of the Home of Representatives representing totally different districts, the Court docket finds the sureties ample and hereby makes an acceptable endorsement of the stated felony look bond.”
“WHEREFORE AND IN VIEW OF THE ABOVE FACTS, LEGAL CITATIONS AND ANALYSIS, the exception to the Legal Look Bond filed by Prosecution is denied, and the movement to justify is granted. Defendants are hereby ordered quickly launched”, the Metropolis Court docket learn.
The Court docket in her ruling stated that it was glad that the properties supplied to safe the felony look bond are real and bonafide since they had been appraised and assessed by the Liberia Income Authority (LRA), as evident by its Tax Clearance.
Choose Bacon in his ruling added that Prosecution didn’t state any authorized reliance. The regulation extant on this jurisdiction is that extreme bail just isn’t required, as present in Article 21 (d) (i) of the Structure of Liberia. Moreover, the bond proffered by the Defendants was not an indemnity bond however a felony look bond, and the requirement is {that a} felony look bond is for the day-to-day look of the defendant.
“On the face of the felony look bond posted with this Court docket, the sureties assured that they’re binding themselves to provide the defendants earlier than this Court docket to reply to the costs towards them as per the writ of arrest, and that if convicted, the defendants will probably be surrendered to the custody of the Court docket to bear the total sentence of the regulation. What this implies is that the sureties solely assured the looks of Defendants and to not indemnify them.”
The proceedings within the bond justification stems from an earlier Metropolis Court docket order issued on Monday, June 23, instructing Koffa and his co-defendants to justify the legitimacy of their bail or face rapid rearrest.
“The defendants are hereby ordered to provide their sureties to justify their bond… In any other case, the bond will probably be put aside and the defendants will probably be rearrested in keeping with our statute,” Justice of the Peace Ben Barcon declared in open courtroom.
In compliance with the courtroom’s directive, Consultant Koffa offered his daughters Ms. Jonda Janet Koffa – Basic Supervisor of United Command Inc., and Marjan Mona Koffa, as sureties for a US$1.8 million property bond.
Koffa and his co-defendants had initially been launched from the Monrovia Central Jail on June 9, 2025, after submitting a mixed bail bundle that included a US$440,000 felony look bond—backed by the identical two sureties—and the US$1.8 million property bond. That bond was accepted by the Metropolis Court docket with no formal justification listening to, prompting the prosecution to file exceptions questioning its sufficiency and the credibility of the sureties.
Somewhat than listening to arguments at the moment, the Metropolis Court docket referred the matter to Legal Court docket “A,” which subsequently remanded it again to Justice of the Peace Barcon for decision.
Throughout Tuesday’s listening to, Justice of the Peace Barcon granted a movement by the protection to proceed with the qualification of the sureties listed within the authentic bond. Ms. Jonda Janet Koffa, the primary witness, was sworn in and took the stand. She recognized herself because the Basic Supervisor of United Command Inc. and a resident of seventh Road, Sinkor. She confirmed that she is likely one of the sureties and disclosed that she is the elder sister of co-surety Marjan Mona Koffa. She additionally acknowledged beneath oath that she is personally acquainted with all 4 defendants.
Following her testimony, the protection moved for each oral and documentary proof to be admitted into the courtroom document. The courtroom granted the request and formally entered the proof into the proceedings.
The protection cited a number of provisions from Liberia’s Civil Process Regulation, notably Chapters 25 and 63, together with related case precedents, to say the authorized adequacy of the bond.
The prosecution, nevertheless, maintained its problem, referencing Sections 63.1, 63.2, and 63.6 of the Civil Process Regulation and the Supreme Court docket determination in Griffith v. Wadan, 35 LLR. Prosecutors labeled the bond “bogus and nugatory” and claimed the sureties had been inadequate.
“The listening to in the present day clearly reveals that the defendants failed flatly and miserably to justify the ill-fated and frivolous felony look bond,” state attorneys argued, urging the courtroom to set it apart and rearrest the accused lawmakers.
In response, the protection referenced the Supreme Court docket’s opinion in Jimmy Sumo, 37 LLR, stressing the constitutional rights of the accused and urging the courtroom to uphold the bond already accepted.
After listening to arguments from either side, Justice of the Peace Barco reserved his ruling and introduced {that a} determination on the bond’s validity can be handed down by noon on Thursday, June 26, 2025.
The Capitol Constructing arson case continues to draw public and political consideration, not solely due to the high-profile people concerned, but in addition as a result of escalating authorized back-and-forth over bond sufficiency.
Koffa, together with Representatives Seboe, Kamara, and Debee, stand accused of orchestrating the alleged arson assault on December 18, 2024, that broken a wing of the Capitol Constructing. They’ve vehemently denied the costs.
The Liberia Nationwide Police alleged in its cost sheet that the hearth was deliberately set to impede legislative actions and incite public panic. Nevertheless, critics argue that the case lacks strong forensic and surveillance proof, and that the costs had been suspiciously filed shortly after Koffa was ousted from his place as Speaker of the Home. The lawmakers had been arrested simply weeks after the Unity Celebration-led authorities took energy, elevating issues about political motivation behind the prosecution. Modifying by Jonathan Browne
