-Legal Experts Weigh In on Koffa’s Indictment
By G. Bennie Bravo Johnson, I
The Grand Jury of Montserrado County on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, drew out an eight-count indictment against Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa, indirectly linking him to the December 18, 2024, Arson Attack on the Capitol Building – relying on circumstantial evidence.
“THE GRAND JURORS AFORESAID, UPON THEIR OATH AFORESAID DO PRESENT THAT THE HEREINABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS AFORESAID, DO SAY
THAT THE CRIMES OF, CRIMINAL ATTEMPT TO COMMIT MURDER, CRIMINAL MISCHIEF, CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY, CRIMINAL FACILITATION, CRIMINAL
SOLICITATION, RELEASE OF DESTRUCTIVE FORCES, RECKLESS BURNING OR EXPLODING, AND RECKLESSLY ENDANGERING ANOTHER PERSON, THE SAID DEFENDANTS DID DO AND COMMIT CONTRARY TO THE FORM, FORCE AND EFFECT OF THE STATUTORY LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA IN SUCH CASES MADE AND PROVIDED AND AGAINST THE PEACE AND DIGNITY OF THE
SAID REPUBLIC.”
The indictment which seeks to have the former Speaker prosecuted has been termed as a political indictment in the eyes of legal experts who believe the indictment is not drawn out on a legal basis, but underlying political intent squarely aimed at silencing the opposition CDC. Koffa and his co-defendants are facing an alleged multi-faceted criminal case spanning arson, conspiracy, attempted murder, and related felonies tied to what the Government deems as a coordinated attack on the Capitol building in December 2024.
Government lawyers have insinuated that the capitol Arson is link to the Legislative impasse involving the majority bloc and the minority – tiding to Koffa quest to ensure he legally maintain the Speakership. With this, they assert that Koffa could be the primary sponsor of the attack. The indictment of the former Speaker in the Capitol Building arson case is based primarily on circumstantial connections, raising concerns about the credibility of the prosecution and the apparent political undertone of the case.
Despite the gravity of the 63-count indictment, which includes charges such as arson, conspiracy, and attempted murder, the evidence linking Koffa to the December 18, 2024 fire appears thin. The indictment largely hangs on an alleged instruction for a co-defendant to go to Koffa’s house after the blaze and the involvement of two of his staffers in a chatroom that discussed deleting evidence — without proof that Koffa himself gave any order or even knew of the conversation.
Unlike others charged in the case, Koffa is not captured in any recordings, did not appear at the scene, and is not mentioned in direct communications planning the attack. The prosecution repeatedly states he gave “support and facilitation,” yet offers no concrete example of what that support involved. Under Liberian law, proving conspiracy or facilitation requires active participation, knowledge, or aid in furthering the crime — none of which the indictment attributes to Koffa in any clear or specific manner.
Political critics argue that the government’s insistence on lumping Koffa with the primary suspects is a strategic move rooted in political rivalry, rather than solid legal grounding. The former Speaker was facing efforts to be unseated by pro-Unity Party lawmakers around the time of the fire. Those attempts were declared illegal by the Supreme Court, and shortly thereafter, the Capitol was attacked. Yet the indictment fails to show that Koffa played any role in planning or approving the act, nor that he stood to benefit from it in any way.
The indictment further alleges that some of Koffa’s office staff participated in a chat room where evidence deletion was discussed. Still, there is no claim that he was part of the chat or gave permission for such actions. Legal observers say this form of guilt by association sets a dangerous precedent. “You cannot prosecute a man because his staff were in a chatroom, or someone ran to his house without his knowledge,” one Monrovia-based attorney remarked, warning that the prosecution risks undermining the integrity of the judiciary by pursuing such a flimsy case.
The broader political climate surrounding the case casts doubt on the government’s motives. Following the change in administration, there has been a growing pattern of prosecutions aimed at former opposition leaders and setting free of allies of the Government who were once prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced for criminal charges such as murder.
Former Chief Justice Cllr. Gloria MusuScott was convicted of the February 22, 2023 murder of her niece, criminal conspiracy, and making false statements to law enforcement. The Criminal Court A’ jury found her guilty in December 2023, and Judge Roosevelt Willie sentenced her to life imprisonment on January 9, 2024. However, at the inception of the Boakai administration, the prosecution filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of Liberia which overturned the verdict and formally acquitted her and her relatives on August 28, 2024, citing insufficient and circumstantial evidence that failed to meet the required burden of proof.
Since her acquittal, Cllr. MusuScott has re-engaged in public service and politics, closely aligned with the current administration led by President Joseph Boakai. In December 2024, Boakai appointed her as Acting Chairperson of the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), a move that sparked debate—critics suggest her favorable treatment reflects political favoritism tied to her Unity Party affiliation. She continues to be a vocal advocate for ethical leadership, addressing national crises and urging integrity across institutions from the platform granted by her current role.
Legal actors have sharply pointed out the similarity of the trial of Cllr. Koffa and Cllr. Scott asserted that both charges were based on circumstantial evidence and that once the Supreme Court has ruled in a similar matter, the court ruling becomes a precedent that one must follow during the crafting of an indictment and other legal proceedings. An assertion makes the integrity of the Grand Jury of Montserrado County lie flat on the floor.
The High Court ruled that Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott was not guilty because the evidence against her was circumstantial evidence that could not directly link her to the commission of the crime of murder. The exact evidence the Grand Jury of Montserrado County relies on to indict former Speaker Koffa and some of his co-defendants.
