Monrovia – The Liberian National Police has formally arrested and charged Stephen M. Broh, a security guard assigned to the Legislative Security Service (LSS), in connection with the December 18, 2024, controversial fire incident that devastated major sections of the Capitol Building, including the Joint Chambers, the fourth floor, and the Dome.
The early morning blaze gutted the central portion of the Capitol Building, completely destroying properties housed in the affected areas. First responders from the Liberia National Fire Service, Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company Fire Department, and a private crew from Sethi Brothers made efforts to contain the inferno but found the building already overwhelmed by flames.
The police conclusion that the fire was an act of arson remains controversial due to the lack of fire experts’ involvement in the investigation from the onset. President Boakai had also described the incident as an act of arson on the morning of the incident and tasked the Liberia National Police and the Ministry of Justice to ensure the perpetrators are brought to book.
There have also been questions over the police’s failure to invite any member of the ruling party-backed ‘majority bloc’ faction of the lawmakers seeking the removal of Speaker Koffa for questioning, despite inviting Speaker Koffa and several lawmakers who support him for questioning in connection with the fire incident.
In the immediate aftermath, law enforcement agencies cordoned off the Capitol and its surroundings, detaining more than sixty-five individuals found within the vicinity for questioning. The LNP, working in coordination with the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Liberia National Fire Service, launched a full-scale investigation to determine the origin and cause of the fire.
Findings from the investigation have since revealed what police describe as a deliberate and coordinated arson plot. The police have accused Defendant Stephen Broh of conspiring with other suspects including Thomas Isaac Etheridge, alias “Tom”, who is already in detention, Amos Koffa, an employee of the Capitol, and John Nyanti, an officer of the Ministry of Justice’s Correction Bureau. The suspects are said to have entered the Capitol compound between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. on December 18 in a white JAC double-cabin pickup bearing license plate HOR 98, which was driven by Etheridge.
Broh reportedly told investigators given in the presence of his attorney, Atty. Martin J. Corlon, that he was picked up by Etheridge at Iron Gate in Brewerville and later joined by Koffa at Point Four Junction. The group reportedly proceeded to Ashmun and Johnson Streets where Nyanti boarded the vehicle, reportedly carrying an army-colored duffel bag. Broh reportedly told investigators that he questioned the purpose of the bag after overhearing Amos Koffa refer to it as “for our operation.” Upon discovering it contained gasoline, he said he expressed concern, telling Etheridge that their actions would not be supported by “the oldman,” a reference believed to be directed at House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa.
Upon arrival at the Capitol Hill entrance across from the University of Liberia, Broh said he exited the vehicle and reported to the security booth to relieve his colleague, while the others continued driving toward the Speaker’s parking lot. Moments later, another officer rushed to the booth to inform him that the Joint Chambers was on fire. Broh said he did not respond to the alert or notify anyone of the suspicious activity he had just witnessed. He and several other security officers were later detained by police for questioning and released the same day, pending further investigation.
According to police, Broh subsequently went into hiding but was tracked and arrested during a targeted search operation. Investigators say the fire was ignited using gasoline poured throughout the Joint Chambers and the upper floor, followed by the use of matchsticks. The resulting blaze caused significant destruction, with heat so intense it bent steel beams and severely defaced the building’s iconic Dome. Damages have been estimated at over US$8.6 million.
Authorities also uncovered that the Capitol had been the target of a similar attempted arson just eight days earlier, on December 10, involving Nyanti, Kivi Bah alias “Kabah,” and other unidentified individuals.
Further details from the investigation revealed that Broh had not been reporting to work consistently following political tensions between the Majority and Minority blocs that began in June 2024. On the morning of December 19, a day after the arson, Broh said Etheridge contacted him again and proposed they meet at Iron Gate. Broh claimed he declined the invitation, feeling uneasy about what had transpired the day before.
According to the police, Broh was actively complicit in the planning and execution of the Capitol Building arson, describing the act as both deliberate and premeditated. Authorities say Broh and his accomplices used the cover of their official affiliations to gain access to the premises and carry out the attack.
Broh has been formally charged with the crimes of arson, release of destructive forces, reckless burning or exploding, criminal mischief, recklessly endangering another person, criminal facilitation, criminal conspiracy, and criminal solicitation—all in violation of Chapters 10, 14, and 15 of Liberia’s Revised Penal Code.
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