Monrovia – The Supreme Court docket of Liberia has directed Prison Court docket “A” Decide Roosevelt Z. Willie to renew full jurisdiction over the trial of 5 defendants accused within the December 2024 “arson assault” on the Capitol Constructing.
By Willie N. Tokpah
The excessive courtroom’s determination got here on Friday, August 29, following a petition for a writ of certiorari filed by protection, looking for to overturn or delay Decide Willie’s dealing with of the matter.
In a directive issued by Affiliate Justice Jamesetta Howard Wolokolie, presiding in Chambers, the Court docket declined to grant the writ, successfully denying the prosecution’s request and ordering the trial to proceed with out additional interference.
“By directive of Her Honor Jamesetta H. Wolokolie, Affiliate Justice presiding in Chambers, you might be hereby mandated to renew jurisdiction, and proceed consistent with legislation, because the Justice has declined to problem the writ prayed for,” said a courtroom communication signed by Supreme Court docket Clerk, Sam Mamulu.
The ruling has been welcomed by authorized observers and advocates as a essential win for due course of and a reaffirmation of judicial independence within the face of mounting political and public stress.
The 5 accused males, Christian Kofa, John Nyanti, Eric Susay, Thomas Isaac Etheridge, and Stephen Broh, have constantly denied any involvement in the assault, which left the Joint Chambers and dome of the Capitol Constructing in flames.
All 5 are charged with arson, felony conspiracy, reckless endangerment, tried homicide, and different felonies following the December 18, 2024, incident that shook the nation’s political core.
Whereas the Ministry of Justice maintains that it possesses incriminating audio proof and different intelligence suggesting a coordinated conspiracy, protection legal professionals have repeatedly argued that the case has been marred by prejudice, procedural missteps, and what they describe as “politically motivated overreach.”
Decide Roosevelt Z. Willie had earlier come underneath stress from each the protection and the general public following his choices on bail for the accused.
In July 2025, an preliminary property bond filed by the protection was withdrawn after the state challenged its validity.
In August, Decide Willie accepted a US$500,000 joint bail bond, backed by two sureties, Randolph and Rufina Cole, which allowed for the momentary launch of the defendants.
Nevertheless, members of the family and authorized supporters argued that Decide Willie imposed excessively burdensome bail circumstances, together with the requirement of 4 human sureties per defendant and refusal to simply accept expired government-issued IDs, a transfer they stated violated Article 21 of the Liberian Structure, which prohibits extreme bail.
These controversies fueled protection motions for Decide Willie’s recusal, alleging bias, and prompted the prosecution to hunt the intervention of the Supreme Court docket, a transfer now blocked by Friday’s ruling.
Authorized specialists say the Supreme Court docket’s refusal to intervene at this stage of the trial reinforces the precept that trial courts should be allowed to train discretion with out untimely interference, notably in delicate felony proceedings.
“This determination upholds the integrity of the authorized course of and restores confidence that this case will probably be decided on the energy of the proof, not the load of public opinion or political affect,” stated one senior authorized analyst who requested to not be named.
With the Supreme Court docket clearing the procedural bottleneck, Decide Willie is anticipated to instantly resume management of pre-trial proceedings, together with setting a brand new date for formal arraignment of the defendants; listening to pending motions from either side; reviewing the circumstances of bail and pretrial launch and figuring out whether or not to permit a bench or jury trial.
Sources contained in the judiciary recommend that arraignment may now proceed as early as Tuesday, September 2, barring any new authorized challenges.
Whereas the state stays assured in its proof, supporters of the accused insist that the fees are exaggerated, and the defendants have been used as scapegoats for deeper political tensions.
Because the trial resumes, consideration will shift to the courtroom the place the rule of legislation, not political statements, should decide the destiny of 5 males on the middle of certainly one of Liberia’s most explosive authorized dramas in current historical past.
