Written by Lisa Murimi
In a case shaking the foundations of Liberia’s fragile democracy, former Speaker of the House Jonathan Fonati Koffa and three fellow lawmakers have been released from prison after posting a staggering $440,000 combined bond.
Their release comes just months after a blaze reduced Liberia’s Capitol building to charred ruins.
The December inferno, which engulfed the nation’s joint chambers a day after mass protests erupted over Koffa’s controversial speakership, caused an estimated $8.6 million in damage.
No lives were lost—but the symbolism was haunting.
Now, Koffa, Abu Kamara, Dixon Seboe, and Jacob Debee face a litany of charges, including arson, criminal mischief, and attempted murder. Police say the evidence linking them to the fire is “credible and strategic.”
Koffa, who resigned from the Speaker’s post last month amid escalating political strife, continues to deny any wrongdoing.
The four men, all members of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), were arrested last Friday and held for two nights in Monrovia Central Prison.
Representative Priscilla Cooper, also charged, was spared detention due to ill health.
As the Capitol’s once-proud dome lies in ruin, so too does the trust of many Liberians—watching their leaders trade accusations while their country burns.
A travel ban remains in effect for the accused. The Capitol may be rebuilt, but the deeper damage—the scars of division, distrust, and political vendetta—will not be so easily repaired.
Liberia stands at a crossroads, waiting to see whether justice will bring healing, or only more fuel to the fire.
