MONROVIA – Defense lawyers representing former House Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa and several co-defendants in the ongoing Capitol Building arson trial have filed a motion seeking the dismissal of multiple pieces of evidence introduced by state prosecutors.
The motion, submitted to Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice, contends that the evidence lacks a proper chain of custody and should therefore be deemed inadmissible. According to the defense, the prosecution failed to provide documentation tracing how key items, allegedly linking the accused to the fire incident at the Capitol, were managed from the crime scene to the courtroom.
“The state’s evidence was introduced without credible documentation showing who collected, stored, or transported these items. This raises serious concerns about potential tampering, contamination, or fabrication,” the defense filing stated. Among the disputed materials are surveillance footage, mobile phones seized from the defendants, and a gasoline container allegedly recovered near the crime scene.
The defense further accused the National Security Agency (NSA) of overstepping its authority in the case, claiming that some defendants were coerced into providing evidence. Lawyers characterized such actions as a violation of due process and argued that the resulting evidence should not be admitted.
In response, prosecutors pushed back firmly, insisting that their actions were grounded in legal precedent and in the broader public interest. They dismissed the defense’s claims of privacy violations, pointing to previous high-profile corruption cases in which defendants were subjected to extensive legal scrutiny.
Prosecutors cited the Sable Mining case involving former Senator Varney Sherman, in which both Cllr. Fonati Koffa and Cllr. Arthur Johnson, now co-defendants in the arson trial, once served as prosecuting attorneys. In that matter, the courts ruled in favor of the prosecution, and the Supreme Court later upheld the decision. “The issue of privacy cannot be selectively invoked when convenient,” prosecution lawyers said. “The same legal standards must apply across the board, especially in cases involving alleged criminal activity.”
Meanwhile, Criminal Court “A” Resident Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie has ordered the Ministry of Justice to immediately transfer several co-defendants from Kakata Central Prison back to Monrovia Central Prison, where they were initially committed.
Judge Willie raised concerns in open court about the rationale for relocating the defendants, cautioning that such an unusual transfer could undermine their constitutional right to a fair and speedy trial, particularly their ability to consult freely with their legal counsel. “The Ministry of Justice is hereby ordered to ensure the immediate return of the co-defendants to Monrovia Central Prison, where they were originally committed,” Judge Willie ruled.
The defense has accused prosecutors of exploiting the Kakata transfer as a strategy to isolate the defendants and illegally extract evidence from them, further inflaming tensions in the already politically charged case.
