Ex-Speaker and lawmakers arrested for legislature fire

Former House Speaker Fonati Koffa and three sitting members of the House of Representatives were remanded to the Monrovia Central Prison on Saturday following their appearance at the Monrovia City Court on multiple charges linked to the December 2024 fire at the Capitol Building. FrontPage Africa reports that alongside Koffa, Dixon Seboe, Abu Kamara, Prescilla Cooper, and Jacob Debee were charged with murder, criminal facilitation and conspiracy. The court has yet to rule on bail, and proceedings are expected to continue in the coming days. Police Inspector-General Gregory Coleman alleged that the five lawmakers provided financial and logistical support for the attack, which occurred amid a heated leadership crisis within the House of Representatives. The fire, which damaged one wing of the Capitol, erupted during a period of heightened tensions between ruling and opposition lawmakers. The case has sparked widespread debate over due process and potential political motivations. On Friday, leading opposition figures condemned the incarceration of the lawmakers and called for the rule of law to prevail.

Full Front Page Africa report