Last Updated on January 31, 2025 by The Liberian Investigator
MONROVIA — Temple of Justice, Monrovia State prosecutors were fined US$100 for misleading the Monrovia City Court after falsely presenting a National Security Agency (NSA) agent as a Liberia National Police (LNP) officer in a high-profile arson case linked to the burning of the Capitol Building.
The deception unraveled when prosecutors, led by Solicitor General Augustine Fayiah, introduced a technician to unlock the phone of defendant Thomas Etheridge. They claimed the phone contained voice recordings proving discussions about the Capitol Building fire. However, defense lawyers Cllr. Wilkins Wright and Jonathan Massaquoi immediately objected, demanding that the technician be placed on record and sworn in.
Defense lawyers further argued that the prosecution had misled the court by disguising the technician’s true affiliation. The state falsely identified this technician as an LNP officer when he is, in fact, an NSA employee, Cllr. Wright asserted, requesting that the court compel the technician to clarify his identity under oath.
Presiding Magistrate Ben Barco then questioned the technician, Lewis Jayjay, who admitted he was an NSA agent and not an LNP officer. The court, finding the prosecution’s actions deceptive, imposed a US$100 fine.
Prosecution Presents Key Voice Recordings
Despite the embarrassment, the prosecution pressed forward, calling its fourth witness, Peter Johnson, who played two recordings allegedly capturing conversations between defendants Eric Susay and Thomas Etheridge. The recordings reportedly detailed the flogging of a police officer on Jallah Town Road and the arson attack on the Capitol Building.
Johnson testified that the recordings were from December 17, 2024, when protesters, after fleeing the Capitol, set up a roadblock near the Conex gas station in Jallah Town. An LNP officer attempted to pass through Jallah Town due to road blockages but was confronted by Etheridge, Susay, and others, who beat him and took his weapon,†Johnson said.
He further stated that the defendants were arrested based on these recorded conversations, which allegedly confirmed their roles in the attack on the officer and the arson incident.
Court Sets Date for Arguments
With both oral and documentary evidence presented, the prosecution rested its case and submitted it for argument.
Magistrate Ben Barco has scheduled Thursday, February 6, 2025, for legal arguments in the ongoing preliminary hearing into the Capitol Building arson attack.
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