Monrovia – The Ministry of Justice has moved to re-arrest a number of high-profile defendants within the Capitol Constructing arson case, claiming that the bail bond which secured their launch is essentially faulty, grossly insufficient in worth, and violates Liberian authorized necessities.
By Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected]
The authorized motion, now earlier than the Monrovia Metropolis Court docket, is unfolding at a time when the Central Financial institution of Liberia is intensifying regulatory reforms to deal with widespread issues over bond issuance and accountability within the nation’s judicial system.
The defendants, who embrace lawmakers equivalent to Representatives Dixon W. Seboe, Abu B. Kamara, ex-Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, Prescilla Cooper and Jacob C. Debbie, are going through critical expenses of arson, tried homicide, legal conspiracy, and unlawful possession of firearms.
These expenses stem from a catastrophic hearth that engulfed parts of the Capitol Constructing December 2024, inflicting intensive injury and prompting public outrage.
In its petition, the Ministry of Justice asserts that the property bond filed on behalf of the accused, valued at US$441,863.50, is just not solely inadequate however fails to satisfy statutory necessities. Underneath Liberian regulation, bonds in circumstances involving property injury should quantity to no less than 1.5 occasions the estimated worth of the loss. With the overall injury to the Capitol Constructing positioned at US$8.67 million, the bond ought to legally quantity to at least US$13 million.
Lead prosecutor Cllr. Bobby F. Weetol Livingstone criticized the standard and legitimacy of the paperwork introduced in assist of the bond. “The bond lacks important documentation, together with verified titles, valuation studies, and property pictures,” Cllr. Livingstone mentioned. “Mere claims usually are not proof.”
“The Prosecution excepts to the Prison Look Bond filed by Defendants Dixon W. Seboe, Abu B. Kamara, J. Fonati Koffa, and Jacob C. Debbie, and prays Your Honor to put aside the mentioned bail bond for the next causes: That the bail bond filed by defendants Dixon W. Seboe, Abu B. Kamara, J. Fonati Koffa, and Jacob C. Debbie, is encumbered, inadequate and it fails to satisfy the authorized necessities for the sufficiency of a bail bond beneath Liberian Regulation.” – Prosecution’s exception to defendants’ bail bond
In accordance with the prosecution, among the properties listed had been suspiciously overvalued, improperly verified, or entangled in unrelated authorized claims. One case cited concerned vacant farmland which was allegedly appraised at US$83,000, regardless that authorities tax data mirror an annual legal responsibility of solely US$271.
Prosecutors additionally pointed to unpaid property taxes, questionable possession claims, and potential duplication of the identical properties in a number of unrelated bond filings as additional proof of irregularities.
The Ministry’s petition calls on Stipendiary Justice of the Peace Ben Barco of the Monrovia Metropolis Court docket to nullify the bond and order the fast remand of the defendants on the Monrovia Central Jail till a brand new, lawfully ample bond is secured and authorised by the courtroom.
The newest authorized motion coincides with a regulatory push by the Central Financial institution of Liberia, which in Might 2025 issued Directive No. CBL/ID/DIR/001/2025, geared toward reforming and tightening requirements for courtroom bond issuance in Liberia. Whereas the present case includes a property bond relatively than an insurance-backed bond, the controversy highlights the rising nationwide scrutiny across the use and abuse of bond techniques in legal proceedings —notably these involving outstanding political actors.
The CBL’s directive, signed into impact by Government Governor Henry F. Saamoi, requires that each one insurers receive written clearance from the Financial institution earlier than issuing any courtroom bond. As well as, insurers should submit notarized audited monetary statements, a present listing of excellent bonds, and supporting proof of ample belongings to cowl all potential liabilities.
The directive is grounded within the Insurance coverage Act of 2013, which grants the Central Financial institution broad oversight authority over monetary establishments.
Governor Saamoi defined that the directive is just not meant to ban bond issuance however to implement accountability. “The directive ensures insurers current licensed audited financials, up to date lists of excellent bonds, and procure clearance earlier than issuing new ones,” Saamoi mentioned.
A CBL spokesperson additional clarified the rationale behind the reforms. “That is about accountability, not restriction. The directive protects each the justice system and the general public from fraudulent or under-collateralized bonds,” the official acknowledged.
The CBL’s motion follows years of concern expressed by the Supreme Court docket of Liberia and different stakeholders concerning the integrity of the bond system. A number of insurance coverage corporations had reportedly issued bonds past their monetary capability, creating the chance that these ensures couldn’t be honored, notably in high-stakes legal trials.
On this context, the Capitol Constructing arson case has turn into a major check of each authorized and regulatory techniques in Liberia. Observers word that the defendants, given their political prominence, may set an instance — both for continued impunity or for a renewed dedication to authorized requirements and institutional reform.
If the courtroom agrees with the Ministry of Justice’s movement, the defendants will face fast incarceration pending the submission of a brand new and legitimate bond. Such a ruling may additionally elevate political and authorized tensions, as a number of of the defendants stay energetic members of the Nationwide Legislature.
