Liberia's ex-speaker charged with arson over parliament fire

Liberia's erstwhile talker of parliament has been charged with arson implicit a occurrence which destroyed the nation's House of Representatives, section constabulary person said.

The immense blaze broke retired past December, a time aft plans to region Jonathan Fonati Koffa from his relation arsenic talker sparked protests successful the capital, Monrovia.

Koffa had been locked successful a stand-off with his governmental opponents, with dozens of lawmakers voting for his impeachment successful October implicit accusations of mediocre governance, corruption and conflicts of interest.

He has previously denied immoderate connection to the occurrence breaking out.

Police said connected Friday that determination were "credible links" to suggest Koffa was "strategically involved" successful the incident. Five different lawmakers person besides been detained successful transportation with the case.

Police main Gregory Colman said Koffa had been charged with a drawstring of offences including arson, transgression mischief, endangering different people, and attempted murder.

Colman said Koffa had utilized his bureau and unit "to co-ordinate sabotage efforts from arsenic aboriginal arsenic November 2023", according to quality bureau AFP.

Koffa and respective different lawmakers were summoned to the Liberian National Police office connected Friday arsenic "persons of interest" successful the case, section media reports.

The erstwhile talker and 3 sitting members of the House of Representatives were past remanded to Monrovia Central Prison connected Saturday, paper FrontPage Africa reported.

The blaze connected 18 December 2024 destroyed the full associated chambers of the West African nation's legislature. No 1 was wrong the gathering astatine the time.

The time earlier had seen tense protests implicit the plans to region Koffa, with demonstrators including an adjutant to erstwhile President George Weah arrested.

Several individuals, including Koffa and Representative Frank Saah Foko, were brought successful for questioning by police.

Foko, a salient fig successful the House of Representatives, allegedly uploaded a video to Facebook successful which helium said: "If they privation america to pain the chambers, we volition pain it."

A squad of autarkic US investigators brought successful to assistance the probe concluded that the occurrence was acceptable deliberately.

Liberia's House of Representatives has been beset by a long-running powerfulness struggle.

Although the bid to impeach Koffa fell abbreviated of the two-thirds bulk required, the radical of 47 lawmakers who had voted for the determination unilaterally appointed their ain speaker.

Last month, Koffa resigned arsenic talker aft months of governmental deadlock.