By Staff Writer
Monrovia -The government has indicted former Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa and several other co-defendants in connection to the arson attack on the Capitol Building in December. Besides, Koffa, other indicted were; Kivi Bah alias Kaba, Jerry Pokah alias Tyrese, Stephen M. Broh, John Nyanti, Amos Koffa, Eric Susay and Thomas Isaac Etheridge. Other were; Dixon W. Seboe of (District #16 Montserrado County), Abu B. Kamara of (District#15, Montserrado County) and Jacob C. Deebie of (District #3 Grand Gedeh County), Patience Bestman, Harrilyn Grace Johnson and Christian Kofa.
The indictment was drawn since June 16. The indictment returned by the Special grand jury includes nine (9) charges against Koffa and his co-defendants. They are; criminal attempt to commit murder, criminal mischief, criminal conspiracy, criminal facilitation: criminal solicitation, release of destructive forces, reckless burning or exploding and reckless endangering another person.
According to the indictment, Amos Kofa, Eric Sesay, Janjay. Thomas Isaac Etheridge AKA Tom and others to be identified, after conspiring and planning all night, and agreeing, Co-Defendant Christian Kofa and other co-defendants went and got gasoline, and set ablaze the joint chambers of the Capitol Building, and damaged chairs and cut electric and electronic wires in the joint chambers of the Capitol building, thus sustaining a loss of USS3,788,500.
Meanwhile, Co-defendant Eric Susay, while planning this devilish attack on the 17 day of December 2024, he was on audio using GSM number +231770397654, and making a call and/or telling Co-defendant Thomas Isaac Etheridge that “you and your co-defendants were in readiness to receive gasoline to commence the arson attack on the Capitol Building,” the indictment claims. In another audio recording, the indictment claims, Defendant Eric Susay can be heard saying to his co-defendants that “we dirty the police officer (Sgt. Amara Bility), and left him lying on the street, and have taken his service weapon away and gave it to former EPS officers,” the indictment noted.
The document alleges that in the same audio recording of December 17, 2024, Co-Defendant Eric Susay can be heard complaining to Co-defendant Thomas Isaac Etheridge and stating that “you are calling Co-defendant Janjay, but you are not getting him,” also, that you are requesting Co defendant Thomas to come and give him money to purchase gasoline and prepare petrol bombs to be used on the police officers, Hon. James Kolleh of the majority group house in Congo Town, LRJ Hotel where the “majority bloc” meet and personal vehicles of the majority bloc.
According to the indictment, during the same night of the planning process on December 17, 2024, co-defendants Amos Koffa and Thomas Etheridge can be heard discussing on audio the execution of the operation, which includes putting men in position to participate in the burning of the Capital building, and to shoot any police officer who will try to stop them. In the same audio conversation on December 17, 2024, the indictment alleges that Co-defendant Amos Kofa can be heard asking Thomas Etheridge whether “he saw the materials to be used in the burning of the Capitol Building in the building,” the court documents said. Further, that Defendant Amos Koffa called Co-Defendant Thomas Etheridge on December 18, 2024 and confirmed to him that the Capitol Building was on fire; while still on the line, Co-defendant Thomas Etheridge directed Defendant Amos Kofa to go to Hon. J. Fonati Koffa’s house opposite former Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor’s residence, behind the YWCA building in Congo Town. The indictment also alleges that Defendants Thomas Etheridge and Amos Koffa during the planning of this wicked act, can also be heard saying “we will use tear gas and chlorine in the joint Chambers to dislodge lawmakers from the majority bloc not to have access to the joint Chamber for session.”
The indictment claims that Defendants’ Kivi Bah alias Kaba, Jerry Pokah alias Tyrese, John Nyanti, Stephen M. Broh, Christian Kofa, Amos Kofa, Eric Sesay, Janjay, Thomas Isaac Etheridge AKA Tom and others to be identified act is contrary to: Chapter 15, Subsection 15.1, 15.2, 15.4 of the Penal Law, and against the peace and dignity of the Republic of Liberia.
According to the indictment, on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, with the support and facilitation of Co-Defendants Dixon W. Seboe, J. Fonati Koffa, Abu B. Kamara, and Jacob C. Deebie, co-defendants Kivi Bah alias Kaba, Jerry Pokah alias Tyrese, John Nyanti, Stephen M. Broh, Christian Kofa, Amos Kofa, Eric Sesay, Thomas Isaac Etheridge AKA Tom and others to be identified staged a protest, degenerated into riot, wherein the rioters began throwing stones, sticks, and other objects at officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and other Law Enforcement Officers who were assigned to maintain law and order. That, during the rioting, the indictment noted that Co-defendants Kivi Bah alias Kaba, Jerry Pokah alias Tyrese, John Nyanti, Stephen M. Broh, Christian Kofa, Amos Kofa, Eric Sesay, Janjay, Thomas Isaac Etheridge AKA Tom and others to be identified damaged a Toyota Prado SUV vehicle, bearing license plate number A6309 valued at US$20,000 belonging to Mr. F. Augustine C. Tamba, Deputy Director, Liberia Aviation Authority, Republic of Liberia, upon their Oath do thereby find, more probable than not that, you Defendants Kivi Bah alias Kaba, Jerry Pokah alias Tyrese, John Nyanti, Stephen Broh, Christian Kofa, Amos Kofa, Eric Sesay, Janjay. Thomas Isaac Etheridge AKA Tom and others to be identified, committed the crimes of Arson a felony of the second degree, Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder a felony of the second degree, Criminal Mischief, Criminal Conspiracy a felony of the second degree Criminal Solicitation a felony of the second degree, Release of Destructive Forces a felony of the second degree, Reckless Burning or Exploding a felony of the third degree, Criminal Facilitation a felony of the third degree, Recklessly Endangering Another Person a misdemeanour of the first degree to wit:
- That, on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, with the support and facilitation of Co-Defendants Dixon W. Seboe, J. Fonati Koffa, Abu B. Kamara, and Jacob C. Deebie, you co-defendants Kivi Bah alias Kaba, Jerry Pokah alias Tyrese, John Nyanti, Stephen M. Broh, Christian Kofa, Amos Kofa, Eric Sesay, Thomas Isaac Etheridge AKA Tom and others to be identified staged a protest which protest degenerated into riot wherein the rioters began throwing stones, sticks, and other objects at officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and other Law Enforcement Officers who were assigned to maintain law and order.
- That during the rioting, you Co-defendants Kivi Bah alias Kaba, Jerry Pokah alias Tyrese, John Nyanti, Stephen M. Broh, Christian Kofa, Amos Kofa, Eric Sesay, Janjay, Thomas Isaac Etheridge AKA Tom and others to be identified damaged a Toyota Prado SUV vehicle, bearing license plate number A6309 valued at Twenty Thousand United Thousand United States Dollars (USD20,000.00), belonging to Mr. F. Augustine C. Tamba, Deputy Director, Liberia Aviation Authority. The indictment also alleges that, while co-defendants Kivi Bah alias Kaba, Jerry Pokah alias Tyrese, John Nyanti, Stephen M. Broh, Jacob C. Deebie, Christian Kofa, Amos Kofa, Eric Sesay, Janjay, Thomas Isaac Etheridge AKA Tom and others to be identified were rioting, Sgt. Amara Bility, officer of the Police Support Unit (PSU), who was on his way to assignment at the National Election Commission (NEC) headquarters on 9th Street, Sinkor was physically assaulted and left for dead, with life threatening injuries and his assigned 9mm Berretta Pistol (serial#N40-2290) was criminally taken away.
