\MONROVIA – Former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and his colleagues on trial risk another arrest and detention as the state has moved to challenge their $441,000 bail bond, branding it fraudulent, inadequate, and legally worthless.
In a motion filed Wednesday, June 12—just 24 hours before final arguments in their preliminary hearing—government prosecutors urged Monrovia City Court Stipendiary Magistrate L. Ben Barco to revoke the bond and re-arrest Koffa, Montserrado County District #16 Representative Dixon W. Seboe, Representative 15 Representative Abu B. Kamara, and Grand Gedeh District #3 Representative Jacob C. Debbie.
All four are accused of orchestrating the December 18, 2024, arson attack that destroyed key sections of the Capitol Building and reportedly caused over $8.6 million in damage. The charges range from arson and attempted murder to criminal mischief and illegal possession of firearms.
Prosecutors say the criminal appearance bond that secured their release from the Monrovia Central Prison on June 9 was propped up by forged documents, inflated property values, and a glaring mismatch between the bond’s financial weight and the scale of the alleged crime.
“Bond is Falsified and Must Be Set Aside”
The prosecution’s motion, signed by Solicitor General Cllr. Augustine C. Fayiah and a team of senior Ministry of Justice lawyers, allege that the sureties—Jonda Janet Koffa and Marian Mona Koffa—submitted unverified, encumbered, or nonexistent properties as collateral. The state is asking the court to set the bond aside and order the defendants back into custody until a legally compliant bond is filed.
“The said bond is utterly defective,” the motion states. “It is encumbered, insufficient, and fails to meet the legal requirements for sufficiency of a bail bond under Liberian law.”
The filing accuses the sureties of failing to produce any title deeds, tax clearance receipts, or photographs to prove ownership or value of the properties. According to the prosecution, one of the deeds is for vacant farmland listed at $83,000, another is allegedly worth $15,000—but neither has supporting documentation.
“These properties have obligations yet to be liquidated and do not qualify to be posted as a bond,” the motion argues. “There is no justification as to how the values were derived. The bond must be disregarded and set aside.”
Damage Estimated at $8.6 Million, Bond at $441K
A key element in the state’s objection is the sheer disparity between the reported financial damage allegedly caused and the bond value. Under Liberian law, prosecutors argue, a criminal appearance bond should be set at one-and-a-half times the value of the alleged loss—in this case, roughly $13 million.
Instead, the defendants were released on a bond totaling just $441,000. The Ministry of Justice says this figure is not only “grossly inadequate,” but also “contemptuous,” given the magnitude of the charges.
“There’s no legal universe where this bond should be allowed to stand,” a senior legal source told The Liberian Investigator. “To do so would be to invite abuse in every high-profile criminal matter moving forward.”
Judiciary Under Pressure as Trial Heats Up
The bond challenge comes amid intensifying public scrutiny and a highly charged political atmosphere. The Capitol Building fire occured amid legislative disputes and accusations of political vendettas.
If Magistrate Barco grants the prosecution’s request, the four lawmakers could be escorted back to the Monrovia Central Prison where they spent last weekend, marking a stunning reversal just days after they were freed.
How They Got Out: The Controversial Bond
On June 9, Koffa and his co-defendants were granted a joint criminal appearance bond totaling $440,000, signed by Magistrate Barco. The document lists Jonda Janet Koffa and Marian Mona Koffa—reportedly relatives of the former Speaker—as sureties.
The bond’s approval came after three nights in detention, following their arrest on a host of criminal charges tied to the destruction of the Capitol’s joint chambers. Their release was orchestrated under heavy security, with former President George Weah appearing at the Temple of Justice in a show of support.
One notable absence from the bond arrangement was Rep. Priscilla Cooper (District #5, Montserrado), who was arrested alongside the others but remained in custody as her legal team while the others were detained.
“This Bond is a Lie” – State Lawyers Say
In their filing, state lawyers did not mince words. They say the properties pledged as security were either imaginary or indebted and that the entire bond package is a calculated attempt to deceive the court.
“These are falsified documents which must not be accepted,” the motion states. “It is also contemptuous for the defendants to attempt to deceive this Honorable Court with such inflated and falsified documents.”
According to the government, one property deed submitted by the sureties had no supporting tax record or government valuation, while another was taxed at only $271—raising serious questions about its real value.
How the Case Unfolded
The Capitol Building arson case has been developing since the fire broke out on December 18, 2024. The Liberia National Police allege the blaze was part of a well-orchestrated plan by insiders aimed at destabilizing the Legislature and sabotaging the new political order.
Investigators say Capitol maintenance chief Thomas Ethridge gained unauthorized access to secure areas, allowing co-conspirators to tamper with surveillance systems and spread gasoline throughout the chambers. On the day of the fire, janitor James Muller reportedly helped the attackers enter the premises before the match was lit, the police say.
Police claim Rep. Dixon Seboe played a central role, distributing money at a December 17 meeting in the Jallah Town community and directing House staffers, including Ethridge, to carry out the plot. Alleged WhatsApp group chats and intercepted audio recordings allegedly show Koffa, Kamara, and Debbie discussing logistics and seeking to delete incriminating messages.
State Rests, Defense Slams “Digital Noise”
Prosecutors formally rested their case in the preliminary hearing on Wednesday, just a day before filing an action to challenge the bond. They submitted both oral testimony and audio recordings, which they claim link the lawmakers to the crime.
Defense lawyers fired back, slamming the evidence as “contaminated digital noise” pulled from social media with no traceable origin.
“Social media is a jungle of unverifiable content,” Cllr. Jonathan Massaquoi told the court. “The government cannot walk into this courtroom with unsourced clips and expect a court of law to treat it as credible.”
Under cross-examination, the state’s second witness—Crime Services Division Chief Rafell A. Wilson—admitted that police never seized the phones of the four accused lawmakers. Instead, investigators relied on data extracted from a co-defendant and unspecified “open-source platforms.”
High Stakes, High Tension
Final arguments are scheduled for Friday, June 13, with Magistrate Barco expected to rule shortly thereafter on whether the case proceeds to trial—and whether the bond stands or crumbles.
All four defendants remain under a Writ of Ne Exeat Republica, preventing them from leaving the country without court approval.
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