MONROVIA – The Monrovia City Court has issued a Writ of Ne Exeat Republica against former House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and four other lawmakers, effectively barring them from leaving the country as they face criminal charges related to the December 2024 Capitol Building fire.
The writ, a legal instrument used to prevent individuals from fleeing jurisdiction during a criminal investigation, was granted by Stipendiary Magistrate Ben Barco following a formal petition from government prosecutors over the weekend. The lawmakers named in the court order are Representatives Fonati Koffa, Abu Bana Kamara, Dixon Wlawlee Seboe, Jacob C. Debee, and Priscilla A. Cooper.
The travel restriction comes in response to the ongoing investigation by the Liberia National Police, which has charged the five legislators with arson, criminal conspiracy, and criminal facilitation in connection to the blaze that severely damaged the Capitol Building, disrupting legislative activities and raising national concern.
According to sources within the judiciary, Magistrate Barco has instructed all national security agencies to apprehend any of the five lawmakers if found attempting to leave the country by air, land, or sea. This directive underscores the seriousness with which the authorities are treating the case.
The travel ban follows the lawmakers’ appearance in court just a day earlier, during which Koffa and three others were remanded to the Monrovia Central Prison to await trial. The court’s actions have intensified both the legal and political stakes in what is now one of the most high-profile criminal cases in Liberia’s recent history.
The case continues to draw public scrutiny, as citizens and civil society groups closely watch how the judicial system will handle allegations involving high-ranking officials. The move by the court sends a clear message that legal accountability in Liberia applies across all levels of power.
