MONROVIA – Just two days after a fire gutted the Capitol Building on December 18, 2024, Senator Prince Moye (UP, Bong County) proposed on the Senate floor that US$1.8 million be allocated in the national budget for the renovation of the fire-damaged joint chambers. However, the rationale behind the proposed amount remains unclear, prompting widespread criticism of the senator for what many deemed a hasty and premature suggestion. Questions have arisen regarding how he arrived at the figure.
At the time of Senator Moye’s proposal, budget hearings were ongoing, and the Liberia National Police and the Liberia National Fire Service were still in the early stages of their investigations into the incident.
Surprisingly, the State’s Writ of Arrest against Thomas Isaac Etheridge, one of the suspects, stated that the damage was valued at US$1.8 million—the exact amount proposed by Senator Moye just two days after the fire. In contrast, the police charge sheet for another suspect, Eric Susay, estimates the damage at US$8.6 million, creating confusion about the actual extent of the damage to the rotunda.
These linkages and contradictions emerge amidst allegations of torture inflicted on the suspects by state security officers in an attempt to extract confessions and obtain recordings allegedly implicating the embattled Speaker, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa.
On Tuesday, Etheridge was arrested at the court after being cited by the Justice in Chambers, along with state prosecutors and his lawyer, for a conference regarding a writ of certiorari filed by the prosecutors. However, the State had already secured a Writ of Arrest from the Monrovia City Court, which was executed following the conference.
Allegations of torture
Etheridge, a resident of Brewerville, collapsed multiple times during his first court appearance at the Temple of Justice on January 13, 2025. He alleged that he was subjected to torture, including waterboarding, severe beatings, and threats of being thrown into a snake pit by agents of the National Security Agency (NSA) during their investigation.
Etheridge appeared visibly frail and claimed the torture, which lasted from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m., was aimed at forcing self-incriminating statements. His legal counsel, Cllr. Jonathan Momo, alleged that he was coerced into signing false statements and presented with unrecognized recordings during the interrogation. Following his collapse at court, police rushed him to the AMI Medical Center near Stella Maris University.
Andrew Lawson, a constituency officer for House Speaker Koffa, has also accused NSA agents of subjecting him to torture and coercion following his arrest by the Anti-Robbery Unit on January 4. Lawson claims his ordeal began after he was apprehended near the Speaker’s residence and transferred to the NSA later that night.
According to Lawson, NSA agents blindfolded, handcuffed, and stripped him before interrogating him about alleged involvement in protests and a rumored plot to burn the Capitol Building. He denied all accusations, maintaining that he had visited the Capitol to file his weekly report to the Speaker and had no knowledge of any plans to incite violence.
Lawson further stated that he was pressured to implicate his boss, Speaker Koffa, and others, including Grace Johnson, who he clarified distributed small stipends to staff but had no connection to criminal activities. He alleged that agents threatened him with violence and attempted to coerce him into fabricating statements, but he resisted despite enduring physical and psychological pressure.
Justice Minister denies torture claims
The Ministry of Justice strongly denied allegations of torture against suspects during the investigation into the fire incident. Justice Minister Oswald Tweh dismissed the claims as “false, condemnable, and designed to undermine the ongoing investigation.”
Speaking during the dedication ceremony for 21 vehicles assigned to county attorneys and legal counsels, Minister Tweh assured the public that the investigation remains fair and transparent. He announced the invitation of independent investigators to probe the torture allegations. Cllr. Tweh said that no individual, regardless of their status, would be shielded from accountability. “Anyone implicated in the Capitol fire, whether a lawmaker or an ordinary citizen, will face the full force of the law,” he stated, stressing the government’s resolve to bring those responsible to justice.
The Minister also reminded the public that while lawmakers enjoy constitutional protections, these do not apply to serious criminal offenses. Should any lawmaker be implicated, due process would be followed to ensure accountability.
“Investigation into the Capitol fire is progressing, and we will not tolerate any attempts to disrupt or misrepresent these efforts,” Cllr. Tweh said.
What the police charge sheet says
According to the police, on December 17, 2024, Susay led a group of protesters to the Capitol Building, demanding due process for Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa, who was being removed as Speaker. The protest, initially peaceful, spiraled into violence when demonstrators allegedly defied police barricades, chanted anti-police slogans, and pelted officers with stones.
The chaos escalated, forcing police to disperse the crowd using tear gas. Police allege that later that day, Susay and a group of accomplices ambushed Police Support Unit officer Sgt. Amara Bility in Jallah Town. According to police reports, Susay and others brutally assaulted Bility, leaving him unconscious and stealing his 9mm Beretta service pistol. A local resident reportedly hid the injured officer until police reinforcements arrived.
Less than 24 hours after the violent protest, flames engulfed the Capitol Building in what investigators now describe as an intentional act of sabotage. Emergency responders, including the Liberia National Fire Service and other agencies, battled the inferno, but the damage was catastrophic.
Police say the investigation quickly focused on Susay and Etheridge after alleged electronic evidence, including phone logs and intercepted messages, revealed a plot to set the Capitol Building on fire. Authorities allege that Etheridge coordinated the operation, smuggling gasoline and matches into the building alongside other suspects, including Amos Koffa, Stephen Broh, and Grace Johnson, all of whom remain at large.
The police charge sheet alleges that surveillance footage (yet to be made public) captured Etheridge’s vehicle, a white JAC pickup, at the scene. Police claim witness testimony and forensic evidence, including a gasoline-soaked Clorox bottle and a box of matches found near the Joint Chamber, further linked the suspects to the arson.
A recorded phone call from December 17 allegedly captured Susay boasting about attacking Sgt. Bility, stating, “We took away the officer’s gun and gave it to a former EPS officer.” He also allegedly discussed procuring materials to create petrol bombs for further attacks.
The police further allege that on the morning of December 18, Etheridge and other suspects accessed the Capitol Building through an unlocked door and set the fire using gasoline. Investigators say the group carefully planned the attack, targeting areas with wooden structures to ensure maximum destruction.
Susay reportedly admitted during interrogation to attending planning meetings but claimed he was excluded from the final operation to avoid attracting police attention. Despite his denials, police assert that the evidence overwhelmingly implicates him in the conspiracy.
Susay and Etheridge face multiple charges, including arson, aggravated assault, attempted murder, and criminal conspiracy.
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