By 
Temple Of Justice, Monrovia — Government prosecutors are expected to open their case on Monday, December 1, 2025, in the high-profile Capitol Building arson trial involving former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and Representatives Abu B. Kamara, Jacob Debee, and Dixon Seboe, along with several other accused individuals.
The defendants entered not-guilty pleas on November 17, 2025, triggering a full jury trial before Criminal Court “A” Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie. At their request, a jury will serve as the trier of fact in a case that has traveled through multiple judicial stages—from the Monrovia City Court, to Criminal Court “A,” and ultimately to the Supreme Court. Jury selection lasted three days and wrapped up on November 20, following the formal reading of the indictment on November 17.
A special Montserrado County grand jury handed down a true bill on June 16, 2025, charging the lawmakers and their co-defendants with a string of serious offenses, including arson, attempted murder, criminal conspiracy, solicitation, aggravated assault, theft of property, reckless endangerment, and releasing destructive forces. According to the indictment, the accused allegedly planned and executed the December 17, 2024 fire that gutted the Joint Chambers of the Legislature, causing more than US$1.8 million in damages.
Before advancing to trial, the case underwent a contested preliminary hearing before Magistrate Ben L. Barco of the Monrovia City Court. Prosecutors anchored much of their presentation on what they described as open-source social media evidence, a method the defense vehemently challenged, questioning both the authenticity and origin of the materials.
Despite the defense’s protests, Magistrate Barco ruled that the state had established a prima facie case. He noted that prosecution witnesses offered mutually reinforcing narratives of the events leading up to the blaze. According to witness testimony, Rep. Dixon Seboe allegedly spearheaded the plot by recruiting individuals to ignite the fire and aiding their escape. Rep. Abu B. Kamara was accused of financing the operation and hiring participants referred to in court as “actors.”
Witnesses also alleged that former Speaker Koffa had prior knowledge of the plan and participated in an online chat group where the conspiracy was discussed. Meanwhile, Rep. Jacob Debee was said to have overheard conversations about the plot but failed to report them—a failure prosecutors argue makes him complicit.
Magistrate Barco concluded that these accounts satisfied the probable-cause standard and ordered the matter transferred to Criminal Court “A.” Defense lawyers took exception to the ruling and vowed to pursue every legal remedy available.
As the trial resumes, it remains uncertain how many witnesses prosecutors will ultimately call. During the preliminary stage, the state produced only two investigators from the Liberia National Police Crime Services Division, leaving open questions about the structure and scope of the prosecution’s full evidentiary presentation.
Credit: The Liberian Investigator
