Liberia’s former Speaker of Parliament, Jonathan Fonati Koffa, has been charged with arson in connection with a devastating fire that destroyed the nation’s House of Representatives last December. The blaze broke out on December 18, 2024, a day after plans to remove Koffa from his role as speaker sparked protests in the capital, Monrovia.
According to Police Chief Gregory Colman, there are “credible links” to suggest Koffa was “strategically involved” in the incident. Koffa has previously denied any connection to the fire, but Colman alleges that he used his office and staff “to co-ordinate sabotage efforts from as early as November 2023”. Koffa faces a string of offenses, including arson, criminal mischief, endangering other people, and attempted murder.
Five other lawmakers have also been detained in connection with the case. Representative Frank Saah Foko, a prominent figure in the House of Representatives, allegedly uploaded a video to Facebook stating, “If they want us to burn the chambers, we will burn it”. A team of independent US investigators concluded that the fire was set deliberately.
The fire destroyed the entire joint chambers of the West African nation’s legislature, but fortunately, no one was inside the building at the time. Koffa and three sitting members of the House of Representatives were remanded to Monrovia Central Prison on Saturday.
The incident is the latest development in a long-running power struggle in Liberia’s House of Representatives. Koffa had been locked in a stand-off with his political opponents, with dozens of lawmakers voting for his impeachment in October over accusations of poor governance, corruption, and conflicts of interest. Although the bid to impeach Koffa fell short of the required two-thirds majority, the group of 47 lawmakers who voted for the move unilaterally appointed their own speaker. Koffa resigned as speaker last month after months of political deadlock.