Monrovia – The Monrovia Metropolis Court docket has granted a movement filed by former Home Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and three different lawmakers to justify their prison look bond, whereas denying the prosecution’s exception to the bond.
Justice of the Peace Ben Barco quickly launched the defendants and instructed the clerk of court docket to ahead the case’s minutes to the First Judicial Circuit Legal Court docket “A”.
The Justice of the Peace famous that his ruling follows a mandate from Decide Roosevelt Z. Willie, Resident Decide of Legal Court docket “A”, who ordered the court docket to renew jurisdiction over the prosecution’s exception to the defendants’ bail.
Delivering his ruling on Thursday, June 26, 2025, Justice of the Peace Barco additionally addressed the prosecution’s request for the defendants to be rearrested and reincarcerated. He said that the protection argued there was no authorized or factual foundation for such a request.
He emphasised that below the Liberian Structure, a person accused of a non-capital or non-grave offense, as outlined by legislation, is entitled to bail.
On this case, Justice of the Peace Barco famous, the 4 defendants are sitting members of the Home of Representatives and a part of the fifty fifth Legislature of Liberia. He dominated they’re eligible for launch on their very own recognizance, each individually and collectively.
The defendants — J. Fonati Koffa, Dixon W. Seboe, Abu B. Kamara, and Jacob C. Debee — are dealing with fees together with prison arson, prison mischief, prison conspiracy, prison solicitation, tried homicide, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a firearm, and theft of property.
Justice of the Peace Barco additionally addressed the prosecution’s competition that the face worth of the bond was inadequate to cowl the alleged damages. The prosecution had argued that the bond should equal or exceed the worth of the property stated to have been broken or destroyed.
Nonetheless, the protection contended that the prosecution misinterpreted the legislation and tried to mislead the court docket, asserting {that a} prison look bond isn’t required to match the total worth of the alleged harm.
The prosecution additional challenged the sufficiency of the bond filed by the defendants, claiming it was encumbered and insufficient, and failed to fulfill the authorized necessities below Liberian legislation. It argued that the sureties — Jonda Janet Koffa and Marian Mona Koffa — didn’t present photographic proof or proof of their possession capability relative to the properties used as surety.
In response, the protection introduced 5 deeds confirming the possession of the properties by the sureties, with all paperwork registered of their names. Justice of the Peace Barco said that the properties had been appraised and assessed by the Liberia Income Authority (LRA) and verified by legitimate tax clearance paperwork.
Based mostly on this, the court docket concluded that the properties provided as surety had been real and legit.
Nonetheless, the prosecution maintained that the bond posted by the defendants, valued at US$441,863.50, was grossly insufficient in comparison with the alleged US$8.6 million in damages. It argued that the bond needs to be one and a half occasions the worth of the broken property — roughly US$13 million.
