The Monrovia City Court will deliver its much-anticipated ruling on Friday in the high-stakes arson case involving former House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa and three other lawmakers, following intense legal arguments from both sides.
The defense, led by former Associate Justice Wilkins Wright, has called for a full dismissal of the charges, arguing that key pieces of evidence were obtained from phones not belonging to the accused. According to Justice Wright, this violates Chapter 11.10 of the Criminal Procedure Law, which outlines the procedures for legally admissible evidence.
“The data extracted from unrelated devices has no legal basis and should be suppressed,” Wright told the court. “The prosecution cannot rely on material that is irrelevant and unlawfully obtained.”
In response, lead prosecutor Cllr. Richard Scott argued that the defense motion was untimely and that the admissibility of the evidence had already been settled in earlier proceedings. He maintained that once evidence has been accepted by the court, it must be weighed by the judge.
“This issue was resolved during preliminary hearings. The defense had the opportunity to raise objections then. It’s too late now,” Scott contended.
Presiding Magistrate L. Ben Barco sided with the prosecution on the matter of admissibility, citing precedent from the Supreme Court, which had previously upheld the inclusion of the contested evidence during earlier phases of the case.
“The evidence has passed the test of admissibility. The court cannot now reverse itself on settled issues,” Magistrate Barco stated.
The case stems from the December 18, 2024 fire that damaged the Capitol Building amid political protests and Koffa’s controversial removal as Speaker. The defense has consistently argued that the charges are politically driven and unsupported by physical or direct evidence.
The court’s final decision, which could determine whether the case proceeds to full trial or is thrown out, is now expected this Friday.
