By Staff Writer
A Liberian citizen, who was arrested in Ghana for allegedly participating in the arson attack on the Capitol Building last December, yesterday appeared before the Monrovia City Court on multiple charges including arson.
Defendant John Nyanti was subsequently transferred to the Criminal Court “A’ that sent him to the Monrovia Central Prison, to await the posting of his bond.
Defendant Nyanti is an employee of the Correctional Bureau, Ministry of Justice and a resident of the Borough of New Kru Town, in co-defendant Representative Dixon Seboe of District # 16, Montserrado County.
According to court documents, defendant Nyanti and others who are at-large organized a conspiratorial scheme wherein they got involved in some criminal cumulative scheme to deny legislators the space to use the Joint Chambers for legislative purposes.
The documents claimed that the scheme organized by Nyanti and his co-conspirators was also intended to disrupt legislative processes at the Capitol Building, which they were successful in doing for the period beginning from October 2024 up to Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
The record further alleges that part of the disruption, on December 10, 2024, defendant Nyanti and Amos Koffa with the consent of Representative Dickson W. Seboe brought from the Borough of New Kru Town, District # 16, to the grounds of the Capitol Building, Jerry Pokah alias Tyrese, Kivi Bah alias Kaba and others to be identified and they all entered the office of Representative Seboe, awaiting to engage in violent activities within the building, as well as the grounds of the Capitol Building. 2024).
After some hours of stayed on the premises of the Capitol Building defendant John Nyanti allegedly received (US$100.00) from Representative Dickson Seboe which he (Nyanti) converted One Hundred United States Dollars into Liberian Dollars (LRD) before given each of the persons brought from the Borough of New Kru Town, Bushrod Island on December 10, 2024, One Thousand plus Liberia Dollars (LRD1,000) as transportation fees to return to their residence since indeed they could not wait no longer because the scheduled protest by Mr. Vandalark R. Patricks was not successful due to low turnout of alleged protesters. Additionally, on the same date (December 10, 2024), while some of those recruited from the Borough of New Kru Town district #16 were leaving the Capitol Building, defendant John Nyanti gave Kivi Bah alias Kaba cash Two Hundred Fifty Liberia Dollars (LRD250.00) to purchase a mayonnaise jar of gasoline which BAH did and brought the gasoline into the hall of the William R. Tolbert building before he was instructed by John Nyanti to set ablaze one of the electrical breakers penal on the 2nd floor, near Montserrado County district # 11 office which was done by Kivi Bah but while the fire was blazing therefrom, defendant John Nyanti and Bah fled the scene before the director of maintenance at the Capitol Building in person of Mr. Joseph T. Gwah and other persons were able to quench the fire.
Firefighters from the Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS) immediately responded to the scene. Additionally, during the evening hours of Tuesday, December 17, 2024, defendant John Nyanti and his co-conspirators again instructed Jerry Pokah and Kivi Bah to meet with them at Jallah Town, precisely around the used cars parking lot which is behind CONEX GAS STATION, located Capitol Bye Pass where they asked Pokah and Bah to join them participate in setting the Capitol Building ablaze on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
During the meeting held at Jallah Town on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, Pokah and Bah requested some cash for their upkeep until the next morning (Wednesday, December 18, 2024), to execute the burning of said Capitol Building and while they were leaving, defendant John Nyanti gave Kivi Bah money to purchase gasoline that was to be used to burn the Building when the meet in the morning.
Predicated upon the request for cash, John Nyanti placed a phone call to Representative Seboe who sent One Hundred United States Dollars (US$100.00) by his driver identified as Gabriel Fancieh, commonly referred to as Deepan who came in a white pickup truck belonging to Representative Seboe and handover the cash to defendant John Nyanti and Amos Koffa. The US$100.00 was turned over to Pokah and Bah by defendant John Nyanti and 2024).
Defendant Koffa before they left for their respective locations but with theunderstanding to meet early in the morning (Wednesday, December 18,) In furtherance of their criminal motive to burn down the Capitol Building, during the early morning hours of Wednesday, December 18, 2024, defendant Thomas Isaac Etheridge who is now before court used a JAC white four doors pickup bearing license plate HOR 98 in which he placed on board Stephen Broh from Brewerville, Amos Koffa from Island Clinic and defendant John Nyanti from Point Junction and they came to town where they purchased gasoline between Carey and Buchanan Streets interception before moving up to the in the compound of the Capitol Building, to join their other perpetrators’ some of whom were already While defendant John Nyanti and his co-conspirators were on the compound thereabout, they moved into the Joint Chambers of the Capitol Building on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at 5:30am or where they spilled gasoline and other flammable materials, used matches sticks to ignite the fire.
While the defendants were gathering during the early morning hours of Wednesday, December 18, 2024, there were exchanges of telephone calls between John Nyanti, Amos Koffa and Thomas Isaac Etheridge, precisely there was a phone call from Representative Seboe GSM number 0886551650 at 1am to John Nyanti GSM number 0777618221.at 1:00am. On the same date after the burning of the Capitol Building, defendant Nyanti met with Jerry Pokah and Kivi Bah at a basketball court, situated in the Laggon Community, Borough of New Kru Town where he shared with them money for their participation in the ARSON attack and thereafter, he instructed that they turned in the respective Sim cards used for communication prior to and after the incident. When the Sim cards were turned over to defendant John Nyanti, he destroyed said Sim cards.
While Law Enforcement Officers were in search of defendant John Nyanti and his cohorts for their complicity in the ARSON attack, Christain Koffa, a resident of the Borough of New Kru Town and a closer friend to defendant John Nyanti in January 2025, received One Thousand United States Dollars (US$1000.00) from Representative Seboe through his (Seboe) chief of chief staff (COS) at the Capitol Building in person of Robert William Anderson 111 to aid the
escape of defendant John Nyanti who used a pseudo name ” Moses Duaryenneh” to obtain a Laissez passer to cross into Ivory Coast through Loguatou Border, located in Nimba County after he was escorted by Christain Koffa and his (Nyanti) sister identified as Rosetta Dukuly or Tutugirl. Defendant John Nyanti upon reaching Ivory Coast, later crossed over to the Republic of Ghana where he was arrested and brought back to Liberia.
In his allege written statement, defendant John Nyanti informed investigation that he served as vice chairman for administration of CDC district 16 youth league a position he had occupied for the past five years.
Defendant Koffa also informed investigation that he worked as employee at Ministry of Justice (MOJ), assigned as Correctional officers.
He claimed to be influential in organizing people and executing various initiative within district 16. Defendant Koffa went to say that his role has always been significant because he is the person people turned to when something needs to be done and that he knows how to identify the right individual for specific task and ensure effective execution.
Defendant Nyanti asserted that leading up to the incident in December 2024, all of their actions were aligning to clear expectation and they need who were backing the operations including its origin and financial support.
He claimed that as far as they were concerned any directive that came through a representative of Honorable J. Fonati Koffa was assumed to carry his authority.
Defendant Nyanti also alleged that it was his role and expectation to meet with Honorable Koffa to carry a task as they function within an established chin of command.
He said, his responsibility was to engage the personnel on the ground which he did in that his part was clearly defined and he fulfilled it accordingly.
In furtherance of his statement, Koffa revealed that about 2:30pm, he received call from Amos Koffa asking that they meet at Point Four Junction on grounds that they had important matters to discuss wherein Thomas Isaac Etheridge had urgent issue to address.
Defendant Nyanti narrated that when they met at Point Four Junction, their meeting lasted for about thirty minutes but while in the meeting, Etheridge called Amos Koffa stating that they needed to see them regarding an operation which they accepted but he remained in the Borough of New Kru Town while Amos Koffa proceeded to Central Town before he Nyanti followed later and met Koffa, Etheridge, Jerry Pokah alias Tyrese and Kivi Bah alias Kaba, including two fellow who he does not know at Capitol Bye Pass.
Defendant Nyanti continued that while they were at Capitol Bye Pass, Etheridge and Koffa informed them that there was instruction from higher up to carry out specific operation, few minutes, Koffa made a phone call and shortly after the call, a white pick-up truck arrived and when he and Koffa to the vehicle, he saw Gabriel Fansieh alias Deepan, driver of Seboe seated behind the vehicle driver’s seat, seated in the front passenger seat who handed One Hundred United States Dollars (US$100.00) to him which Kaba and Tyrese had earlier requested.
Defendant Nyanti explained that upon receipt of the cash (US$100.00) Koffa turned over same to Tyrese and Kaba. Suspect Kaba also stated that after their meeting at Capitol Building which started at about 1900hrs and lasted about a little bit of time before he left for New Kru Town, Etheridge and the two men to be identified left and proceeded to the direction of the Capitol Building, while Tyrese and Kaba proceeded to the Perry Street, he gave Kaba Two Hundred Fifty Liberia Dollars (LRD250.00) to purchase gasoline to be used
to set ablaze the Capitol Building on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
Defendant Nyanti stated that it was agreed that they will return in the morning to execute the operations (December 18, 2024).
Defendant John Nyanti also averred that on the night of December 17, 2024, he gave Kabah Two Hundred and Fifty Liberian dollars (LRD250.00) to purchase gasoline after which time they left with the expectation that bring 18, 2024 while they were heading toward the Capitol Building, they were not the gasoline the following day.
However, the following morning of December sure that Kabah had bought the gasoline. Defendant Nyanti again told investigation that when they drove to Central on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at about 4:40am or thereabout, they drove between Buchanan and
Carey Streets interception where Thomas Isaac Etheridge gave Amos Koffa money to purchase a gallon of gasoline which was placed in a plastic bag and left in the possession of Amos Koffa who was seated in the vehicle with them as they moved towards the Capitol.
According to defendant Nyanti, while on their way to the Capitol Building, he raised concerns to Amos Koffa and Thomas Isaac Etheridge that he did not access pass to exit the compound of the Capitol Building after the ARSON attack as such, he was entering the compound, therefore he disembarked the vehicle and went into the university of Liberia (U.L) were he and awaiting Amos Koffa, Thomas Isaac Etheridge and others to set the Capitol Building on fire. Defendant Nyanti narrated that later he saw the building on fire and Amos
Koffa phoned him to know his whereabout. Defendant Nyanti explained of receiving One Thousand Two Hundred United States Dollars (US$1, 200.00) from Amos Koffa who claimed that the cash was given to him by Thomas Isaac Etheridge for distribution amongst the team. He stated that Jerry Pokah and Kivi Bah was given from US$150.00 each and their Sim cards taken and destroyed by him as per directive from the higher up. Defendant Nyanti also informed the investigation that his child friend in person of Christain Koffa received Five Hundred United States Dollars (US$500.00) from the chief of office staff in Representative Seboe’s Capitol Building office which was used to have him transported out of Liberia into Ivory Coast with Christain Koffa and his (Nyanti) little sister in person Rosetta Dukuly escorting him to the Loguatou borders.
