Liberia’s ex-parliamentary speaker, Jonathan Fonati Koffa, has been officially charged with arson and a string of other offences over a huge fire that razed the joint chambers of the House of Representatives in December, police confirmed on Friday.
The fire, which broke out on Dec. 18, 2024, consumed the core of West Africa’s nation legislature one day after massive demonstrations in Monrovia broke out over attempts to strip Koffa of his seat.
His predecessor had been involved in an increasingly fierce struggle for power in parliament, which climaxed last month when 47 legislators supported his impeachment on charges of corruption, misrule, and conflicts of interest—although the motion did not reach the two-thirds majority needed to pass.
Police Findings and Charges in Fire Case
Police chief Gregory Colman said that police had discovered “credible links” indicating that Koffa had orchestrated the blaze, noting that he had utilised his office and employees “to co-ordinate sabotage efforts from as early as November 2023.” Koffa was charged with arson, criminal mischief, attempted murder, and endangerment of lives. He has not admitted anything.
In addition to Koffa, another five legislators were held in detention, with some of them like Representative Frank Saah Foko remanded into Monrovia Central Prison on Saturday. The influential parliamentarian had earlier posted a video on social media threatening, “If they want us to burn the chambers, we will burn it.”
Fire Investigation and Fallout
There were no reported casualties since the building was vacant at the time of the fire. Nevertheless, the burning of the chamber fanned an already acrid political atmosphere. US independent investigators deduced that the fire had been intentionally started, adding weight to the allegations of sabotage.
Deadlock Ends With Resignation
Tempers in Liberia’s parliament had been simmering for months, with Koffa’s rivals once installing an alternative speaker after the impeachment attempt had failed. The crisis resulted in institutional paralysis, which led Koffa to resign last month.
With investigations ongoing, the arrests are a dramatic twist in Liberia’s politics, with its former head lawmaker now in the middle of a criminal case promising to redraw the nation’s leadership.
