MONROVIA – Liberia’s former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, has filed a lawsuit against the Bukonjedah Group of Companies and its Chief Executive Officer, Elton Johns, for what he described as false, malicious, and defamatory statements published against him. The case has been docketed at the Civil Law Court, Sixth Judicial Circuit, Montserrado County, before Resident Judge J. Kennedy Peabody, during the court’s September Term, A.D. 2025.
In his complaint, former Speaker Koffa, a lawyer and member of the Supreme Court Bar, alleged that Johns appeared on Punch FM, a local radio station, on August 14, 2025, and falsely claimed that the Speaker owed him US$12,500 since July 2024 and had refused to pay. The Speaker’s lawyers argue that Johns’ statements were not only reckless but also broadcast with glee, despite Johns knowing they were false.
According to the complaint, the remarks were subsequently amplified on Facebook and other media platforms, reaching both national and international audiences. Former Speaker Koffa contends that the publications were intended to damage his character, expose him to public ridicule, and undermine his standing as Speaker of the 55th National Legislature.
The suit alleges that the defamatory comments impute dishonesty and criminal behavior, effectively subjecting the Speaker to accusations of theft under Liberian law. “The said false and reckless statement has subjected Plaintiff to criminal sanctions… Moreover, to allege or defame a person of such through writings and publications is libel,” the complaint reads.
Koffa further maintains that the actions of Johns and Bukonjedah were driven by malice, citing past disputes over the company’s access to free office space at the Capitol Building and restrictions placed on its lending practices to legislative staff during his tenure as Speaker.
The lawsuit highlights that such statements are considered defamatory per se, referencing Supreme Court precedent in Bakel vs. Greene (1960), which held that utterances making a person appear “odious or ridiculous in his personal or business transactions” are actionable.
Koffa says the publications have caused him emotional distress, mental anguish, and economic losses, particularly by interfering with business relationships and damaging his reputation both locally and abroad.
The former Speaker is seeking US$4 million in special damages for lost income and business opportunities, as well as US$500,000 in general damages for emotional and reputational harm. He has also requested the court to hold the defendants jointly and severally liable and to impose the costs of the proceedings against them.
A Writ of Summons has been issued commanding the defendants to appear before the Civil Law Court on the third Monday in December 2025 to respond to the allegations. Should they fail to appear, the court has warned that judgment will be rendered against them by default.
