CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA – The House of Representatives, now under the control of lawmakers accused of bribing their way into power, has approved a long-delayed corruption probe into the very scandal that allegedly catalyzed the ouster of former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa.
By Lennart Dodo0 & Gibson Gee
Speaker Richard Koon and his bloc—who seized leadership amid allegations of cash-for-signatures—are now cooperating with the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), prompting questions over whether the move signals genuine accountability or a calculated effort to sanitize their names.
The House on Thursday gave the green light for nine lawmakers—most of them aligned with the current “majority bloc”—to appear before the LACC for questioning. The decision follows months of silence after the Commission began investigating reports of bribes offered to lawmakers to support Koffa’s removal in October 2024.
The motion authorizing the probe was filed by Rep. Ivar K. Jones of Margibi County District #2, who stressed the importance of due process. “We must allow our colleagues to go and clear their names,” he said. But critics say the timing—after Koon has cemented control—raises red flags.
Among those summoned are Rep. Clarence Gahr, who allegedly played a key role in disbursing the bribes, and Rep. James Kollie, who was accused of deducting kickbacks from cash distributions. Also on the list are Reps. Michael M. Thomas, Eugene JM. Kollie, Zinnah Normah, Marvin Cole, Frank Saah Foko, Alex Noah, and Edward P. Flomo.
The lawmakers are scheduled to appear before the Commission in staggered sessions between June 6 and July 4, 2025.
From Accused to In Control
The bribery allegation at the center of the investigation was first reported in late 2024, when Rep. Luther Collins of Gbarpolu County publicly admitted he was promised $25,000 to support the no-confidence vote against Speaker Koffa. He said he had received an initial $15,000. In a viral video, Collins displayed the cash and claimed he accepted the bribe to expose as evidence the plot rather than participate in it.
Another video appeared to show Rep. Gahr negotiating the payout—$15,000 upfront and another $10,000 once Koffa was removed. Both Gahr and Kollie were named in Collins’ public confession.
Following these revelations, the LACC launched an investigation in October 2024. LACC Chairperson Cllr. Alexandra Zoe said her team was gathering video and testimonial evidence to determine both the source and the recipients of the bribe money. But as Koffa’s opponents gained ground politically, the probe quietly stalled.
That same group, the so-called “majority bloc,” succeeded in removing Koffa on May 13, 2025. Richard Koon, then a central figure in the bloc, was elected Speaker soon afterward.
A Political Plot Disguised as Leadership Change?
Supporters of Koffa have long claimed that the effort to unseat him was rooted not in poor leadership, but in his bold attempts at reform. Chief among these was a full audit of the House of Representatives’ finances—an unprecedented move that threatened to expose irregularities involving high-ranking lawmakers, including Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, Vice President Jeremiah Koung, and former Speaker Emmanuel Nuquay.
They also point to Koffa’s tighter control over the national budget process, which limited lawmakers’ ability to manipulate allocations for personal or political gain.
Multiple lawmakers who initially backed the no-confidence resolution have since distanced themselves from it following the allegation of the bribery. Rep. Priscilla Cooper of Montserrado County District #5 denounced the process as dishonorable and withdrew her signature, citing rumors of bribery and a lack of due process. Others—including Reps. Thomas Goshua, Rugie Yatu Barry, and Austin B.Taylor—publicly condemned the alleged corruption and called for full accountability. Cooper and others, however, later rejoined the majority bloc for Koffa’s ouster.
“The push for Speaker Koffa’s removal was largely in response to his bold stance to commence the audit of the House,” said Rep. Goshua at the time. “We should not support any effort aimed at stifling such an important and necessary step toward good governance.”
Rep. Barry at the time said that she never received or expected money for her support of the resolution, and that her concerns were purely procedural. She called for both an audit and an independent LACC probe to ensure public trust.
A Delayed but Crucial Test for LACC
LACC Chair Cllr. Alexandra Zoe affirmed the Commission’s authority under Sections 5.1 and 5.2 of its Act to investigate all acts of corruption, regardless of political standing. She pledged that the hearings will focus not only on individual recipients but also on uncovering the source of the alleged bribery funds.
But the credibility of the probe hangs in the balance.
“This is a classic case of the fox guarding the henhouse,” said one civil society advocate who spoke on condition of anonymity. “You can’t expect a thorough investigation when the accused now lead the very institution being probed.”
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