MONROVIA – The Supreme Court of Liberia has scheduled a conference with petitioners in the high-profile Capitol Building arson case, signaling continued judicial scrutiny of one of the country’s most closely watched trials. The conference, directed by Associate Justice Jamesetta H. Wolokolic, is set for Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 3:00 p.m., and all further proceedings in the matter have been temporarily stayed pending the outcome.
The development follows a ruling by Criminal Court “A” Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, who denied a motion filed by defense lawyers seeking to suppress key evidence in the trial. The defendants, J. Fonati Kofa, Dixon W. Seboe, Abu B. Kamara, and Jacob C. Debbie, among others, argued that evidence obtained during their interrogation should be discarded because they were allegedly sodomized and tortured while in state custody.
As part of the defense strategy, the court ordered a medical examination conducted by Dr. Philip Zochonis Ireland of AMI Expeditionary Healthcare to assess the validity of the claims. Dr. Ireland acknowledged that the passage of time between the alleged incidents and the examination limited the findings. He also cited constraints due to diagnostic limitations and revoked patient consent for certain genital and anal examinations.
Despite these limitations, Dr. Ireland documented scar wounds and illnesses on some defendants but concluded that these could not be definitively linked to torture. Judge Willie noted that the medical report could not provide conclusive grounds to suppress the evidence, but he commended AMI Expeditionary Healthcare for its thorough and professional assessment.
The court also considered statements from all defendants, who denied experiencing sexual assault and had withdrawn consent for specific examinations. Judge Willie ruled that this undermined the defense’s claims of sodomy and emphasized that during their interrogation, all defendants were represented by legal counsel, including Cllr. Jonathan T. Massaquoi, Atty. Martin J.S. Corlon, and Atty. Ekwe Berard. No allegations of abuse were raised at the time of questioning.
Citing Article 21(c) of the 1986 Liberian Constitution, the judge highlighted that the defendants’ rights had been explained to them and that their lawyers were present throughout the interrogation process. He concluded that the argument claiming violations of fundamental rights was unfounded.
“WHEREFORE, and in view of the foregoing, the Court says based on the facts, the medical report, and the law cited herein, the Motion to Suppress the Evidence is hereby denied and this case is ordered proceeded forthwith,” Judge Willie declared.
The Supreme Court’s scheduled conference on October 2 is expected to provide clarity on procedural matters and may influence the pace and direction of the trial, which has already attracted extensive media coverage.
