Johnathan Fonati Koffa, the lawmaker and politician from Sasstown Grand Kru County Electoral District 2, is enduring one of the most perilous moments of his career and life. Over the last 14 months, the US educated lawyer has confronted challenges that few could ever imagined facing: home burnt, power lost, persecutor and prosecuted.
The fire that razed his home to ground zero, left him and his family homeless. Their dreams, hopes, and memories turned to smoke, floating away on the winds of fate. The warmth of familial love was replaced by the cold grip of uncertainty. Could something worse be on the horizon?
What unfolded in the months following that 2024 April night would become a tragic odyssey of political betrayal, accusations, and the gnawing pain of being deemed a criminal in a twisted game of politics and power.
The shadows of the Capitol loomed large over Koffa, a place where he had once stood tall as Speaker of the House, a beacon of democracy and progress. The same building that had witnessed his triumphs would soon become a stage for his torment.
In October, Koffa stood side-by-side with President Joseph Boakai, basking in the reverence of a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, a moment that felt like a divine validation.
But while he sought blessings from the Holy See, a coup brewed within his own ranks, designed to oust him from his position, to dismantle him piece by piece. The unity he believed in shattered as state resources were unleashed to suffocate his voice, to debase his spirit, leaving him utterly alone.
Emotion welled in Koffa’s voice during a recent conversation on Spoon Talk, a deep sense of hurt etched on his face as he recounted the attempts to implicate him in the very fire that consumed the Capitol.
“One of the things that was done to me in this particular impasse was the attempt to implicate me in the burning down of the Capitol,” he recalled, tears threatening to spill from his weary eyes.
“The police made people believe that they had overwhelming evidence of my involvement. That evidence has not surfaced.”
He knew deep down that he couldn’t resign to appease the whims of those who sought to belittle him, to dehumanize him. To do so would mean his innocence would forever be shrouded in doubt, his character tarnished.
“Upon the lives of my children,” he said, his voice a tremor of conviction, “not one day did I and someone plan, organize to put fire on that building.”
But Koffa’s nightmare didn’t end with the fire. Instead, it intensified when police, donned in authority, came to his doorstep, declaring him a “person of interest.”
Hours turned into an eternity as he faced relentless interrogations—a cruel circus of accusations under the guise of a legal process that, in its essence, felt dangerously politicized. More than eight hours within those stifling walls threatened to break him, both mentally and physically.
Advocates for justice, like lawyer Cllr. Mariah Yeakula Korkpor, cast a glaring light on this travesty, proclaiming, “Politicizing the legal process is not law; it’s politics. Using the law as a shield to go after people you have a bone to pick is not justice, it’s tyranny.” And as if Koffa wasn’t enough, three other lawmakers found themselves ensnared in this web of accusations, losing their dignity under the harsh spotlight of what smells like political revenge.
But even within this dark web, glimmers of truth and hope flickered. Being a lawmaker should never mean being a victim of political vendettas, yet here we are, teetering on the precipice of a judicial calamity.
The brilliant textile of democracy is being frayed by the shards of tyrannical ambition, and the very fabric of the legal system is called into question.
What remains at stake? It’s more than Koffa’s reputation. It’s the integrity of our institutions, the hallmark of justice we hold dear, and the trust we bestow upon those who govern us.
“Accused persons are presumed innocent until their guilt is established. They’re not convicts. All accused persons are entitled to equal treatment or equal protection, not selective treatment or protection,” Sinoe County Senator Augustine Chea said.
“The way this matter is handled so far deviates from these fundamental principles, potentially compromising the credibility of the entire process.
“In the absence of such assurances, the public is left to question whether the true aim of these actions is the pursuit of justice or the settling of political scores.”
The shadows of suspicion creep closer, blocking pathways to the truth. If we linger too long in this darkened alley of injustice, we risk losing sight of what truly matters—the pursuit of truth, not just for Koffa but for every soul that calls this nation home.
The police has refused to investigate the circumstantial aspects of the case and is only fixated on getting Koffa behind bars. Who removed the Chairs from the joint chambers on the night of the fire? Who was in the building on the night of fire? Who placed the containers in the Chambers?
Fire investigation are a matter of science. Has there been forensic testing to link finger prints and other biological specimens to the DNA of the accused individuals? Where is the scientific rigor in this fire investigation?
The hidden truths in the Capitol fire must be unearthed. It is our hope that the trial will uncover these issues. The call for fairness and equality resounds in every corner as we seek for the actual culprits.
