By By: Staff Writer
Monrovia, Liberia — Proceedings in the high-profile Capitol Arson case have been temporarily suspended after former House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and eight co-defendants petitioned the Supreme Court of Liberia to intervene in a dispute over the handling of the jury.
The petition challenges a decision by presiding judge Roosevelt Z. Willie to dissolve the jury, arguing that the move was procedurally flawed and could undermine the integrity of the trial. The defendants contend that the action disrupted the judicial process and risked compromising their right to a fair hearing.
Acting promptly on the complaint, Associate Justice Yussif D. Kaba issued a directive on March 2, 2026, summoning Judge Willie to appear before the Court for a conference scheduled for March 5 at 2 p.m. The order also places an immediate stay on all trial-related proceedings pending the Court’s review of the petition.
The intervention effectively pauses one of Liberia’s most closely followed criminal cases. Legal teams have halted courtroom activity while observers await the Supreme Court’s determination on whether the trial judge’s decision will stand or if the jury will be restored.
Until then, the Capitol Arson matter remains on hold, with the focus shifting from trial evidence to a procedural contest now before the nation’s highest judicial authority.
