The Stipendiary Magistrate of the Monrovia City Court has granted a Criminal Appearance Bond in favor of former House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and other lawmakers, effectively ordering their temporary release pending further legal proceedings.
Presiding Judge L. Ben Barco ruled that the defendants, all of whom are current Representatives in the National Legislature, are entitled to bail as their alleged offenses do not fall under capital or grave crimes as defined by Liberian law.
“The 1986 Constitution of Liberia clearly states that a person accused of a crime which is not a capital offense or a grave offense has the right to be released on bail upon his or her own personal recognizance,” Judge Barco stated during Thursday’s ruling.
The court determined that the Criminal Appearance Bond filed on behalf of Koffa and the other defendants met all legal requirements. Sureties who appeared in court justified the sufficiency and adequacy of the bond. The judge emphasized that the bond in question was not an indemnity bond, and that those who guaranteed it are legally recognized sureties.
“The sureties are authorized by law to serve in this capacity,” the judge noted, “and considering that the defendants are serving lawmakers, their recognizance carries additional weight under the law.”
Judge Barco subsequently denied the Prosecution’s exception to the bond, upheld the motion to justify, and ordered the defendants’ temporary release from detention.
In accordance with legal procedure, the Clerk of Court has been instructed to transmit the full minutes of the case to the 1st Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court “A,” formally transferring jurisdiction of the matter to that higher court.
The specifics of the allegations against Koffa and his co-defendants remain a subject of public interest, as the case now moves to a more advanced stage of judicial review.
Stay with Geez Liberia for more developments on this story.
