Published: September 22, 2025
MONROVIA — Criminal Court ‘A’ has postponed its ruling on a motion to suppress evidence in the high-profile arson and attempted murder case involving former House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and more than a dozen co-defendants.
Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie, sitting at the Temple of Justice, announced Wednesday that the decision will now be delivered Sept. 24, after initially setting the ruling for Sept. 18. No reason was given for the change.
Koffa and several co-defendants — including Dixon W. Seboe, Jacob C. Debbie, Kivi Bah (also known as Kaba), Jerry Pokah (alias Tyrese), Stephen M. Broh, John Nyanti, Patience Bestman and others — face charges ranging from arson and criminal mischief to attempted murder, reckless burning, and conspiracy.
The defense team is seeking to suppress evidence they argue was obtained unlawfully, while also pressing claims that defendants were tortured and sodomized by state security forces, including officers of the National Security Agency and Liberia National Police.
On Sept. 10, Judge Willie ordered medical examinations for five defendants who alleged torture. The court selected AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, an international medical provider based in Monrovia, to conduct the tests.
Defense lawyers objected, saying AMI had contractual ties to the government and could not be considered independent. They had earlier rejected the John F. Kennedy Medical Center for similar reasons.
Willie countered that the defense should comply with the court’s order and, if dissatisfied, challenge the results afterward or seek relief from the Supreme Court. “No lawyer outrightly refuses a court order and goes free,” he warned.
Citing a sheriff’s report that defense attorneys instructed their clients not to attend the JFK examinations, Judge Willie fined several defense lawyers, including Cllrs. Arthur T. Johnson, M. Wilkins Wright, Jonathan T. Massaquoi, J. Quiwoe Dennis, Siafa Mai-Gray and James N. Kumeh, each $100. Atty. Wilma Blaye Simpson was fined $50. The payments were ordered to be made into the Judiciary Account by Sept. 16.
Defense counsel rejected the fines, calling the ruling based on “mere hearsay” and accusing the court of failing to properly investigate the matter. They also argued that AMI’s prior involvement in a co-defendant’s case compromised its independence.
Despite the dispute, prosecutors did not oppose the defense request for an independent medical examination at a facility not tied to the government. Judge Willie granted the request, saying the medical findings are crucial to determining whether torture claims can affect the admissibility of evidence.
“The other grounds are legal issues we can decide from the law,” Willie said. “But the allegations of torture and sodomy are factual issues — only medical doctors can determine the truth.”
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