MONROVIA – A key witness in the ongoing Capitol Building arson trial has introduced an audio recording in court, offering what prosecutors describe as crucial evidence against the accused.
Peter Johnson, the prosecution’s third witness, played a recorded WhatsApp conversation allegedly between co-defendant Thomas Etheridge and defendant Eric Sasay. In the audio, the two men reportedly discuss acquiring gasoline to manufacture petrol bombs. Prosecutors argued that this conversation aligns with police findings that link the defendants to the attack. The recording also includes details of an alleged assault on a police officer, whose weapon was later handed over to former members of the Executive Protection Service (EPS) involved in the protest.
During his testimony, Johnson claimed that Etheridge transported a group of individuals from Brewerville to the Capitol Building, where they set fire to the structure. He also identified Sasay as one of those responsible for attacking the police officer before surrendering the officer’s weapon to former EPS operatives.
The case took an unexpected turn when the court found that prosecutors had misrepresented the identity of a key technician. During efforts to unlock Etheridge’s phone, state lawyers led by Solicitor General Augustine Fayiah introduced Lewis Jayjay as a police officer. However, defense attorneys, including Cllr. Wilkins Wright and Jonathan Massaquoi, challenged the claim, demanding that Jayjay be placed on record and sworn in.
Magistrate L. Ben Barco questioned Jayjay, who admitted that he was an agent of the National Security Agency (NSA) rather than an officer of the Liberia National Police (LNP). The revelation prompted the court to fine the prosecution team US$100 for misleading the court.
Despite the setback, the prosecution continued its case, calling Johnson to testify further. He presented two additional recordings in which the defendants allegedly discuss an attack on a police officer on Jallah Town Road and the Capitol Building fire. According to Johnson, these recordings were made on December 17, 2024, when protesters regrouped near the Conex gas station in Jallah Town after fleeing the Capitol Building. He stated that during the chaos, an LNP officer attempting to navigate the blocked roads was confronted by Etheridge, Sasay, and others, who assaulted him and seized his weapon.
Johnson told the court that the accused were apprehended based on their recorded conversations, which reportedly confirm their roles in both the attack on the police officer and the Capitol Building fire. Prosecutors have now rested their case and are preparing for legal arguments.
Magistrate Barco has set February 6, 2025, as the date for arguments in the preliminary hearing.
