Four major opposition political parties have united to call for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate serious allegations of police misconduct.
These allegations range from torture and witness tampering to claims of political bias, particularly in relation to the ongoing controversial arson case.
The opposition parties, which include the Coalition for Democratic Change, the Alternative National Congress, the Movement for Economic Change, and the Citizen Movement for Change, voiced their demands during a joint statement issued Monday.
The leaders expressed deep concerns regarding the potential for wrongful convictions and stated that the integrity of the judicial process is at risk due to claims of witness tampering and coercion within the ranks of the Liberian security forces.
“The investigation has been marred by troubling events that, if proper care is not taken, could lead to the conviction of innocent persons—a grave miscarriage of justice,” the statement said.
Specific allegations were made against individual members of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Liberian National Police regarding the treatment of suspects.
For instance, Thomas Etheridge, one of the detainees, claimed he was coerced into implicating former Speaker Koffa following days of alleged torture while in NSA custody. Etheridge reported being forced to sign a prepared statement and denied any involvement in the arson.
Similarly, Andrew Lawson and Albert Weah, arrested early in January, alleged they were subjected to torture for eight days. Lawson reported multiple instances of physical abuse and attempts to bribe him into providing false testimony implicating others in the fire.
John Nyanti, another accused, claims he was promised substantial sums of money—reportedly between $50,000 and $200,000 USD—to testify against fellow opposition members before eventually rejecting the offer, only to be charged after violating his constitutional rights when detained for over 11 days.
The statement from the opposition indicated that all accusations of misconduct would be further substantiated by Section 12.40 of the Liberian Penal Code, which outlaws witness tampering. The parties cited these violations as justification for a separate inquiry, emphasizing the need for impartiality in an investigation reportedly driven by political bias.
Concerns over disparate treatment during the handling of the accused were also raised, with allegations noting that lawmakers associated with certain political affiliations were treated more harshly than their counterparts. This includes an instance where a lawmaker affiliated with the ruling party was released on personal recognizance while others were held under oppressive conditions.
In a pointed demand, the opposition urged President Joseph Boakai to appoint an independent special prosecutor, emphasizing that failing to address these important issues would undermine Liberia’s democratic foundations and the rights of its citizens.
“The accused are innocent until proven guilty, and the evidence must lead where it goes. We urge the President to act decisively at this critical juncture for the sake of justice and the integrity of our constitutional framework,” the statement concluded.
Below is the full statement.
OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTIES JOINT STATEMENT CALLING FOR A SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED POLICE MISCONDUCT IN THE CAPITOL ARSON CASE
We are concerned and wish to bring to the attention of the Liberian public and our international partners issues of grave concern regarding the investigation and arrest of certain lawmakers and other Liberian citizens on account of the fire at the Capitol—which was initially declared arson and which the police have been investigating as such.
Based on the facts and in accordance with the law set forth below, we request the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate and, where necessary, prosecute proven instances of witness tampering by certain members of the Liberian security forces.
Let us be clear: we support the vigorous prosecution of anyone involved in the commission of the crime of arson at the Liberian Capitol.
However, the investigation has been marred by troubling events that, if proper care is not taken, could lead to the conviction of innocent persons—a grave miscarriage of justice.
WITNESS TAMPERING
Thomas Etheridge
On January 9, 2025, Thomas Etheridge was taken voluntarily to the Liberian National Police for questioning in the presence of his lawyer, as required by the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia. The police, in keeping with the law, decided to detain him for additional questioning; consequently, his lawyer left him in police custody.
According to Mr. Etheridge, he was taken to the headquarters of the National Security Agency at White Plains at about 8:00 pm and was subjected to several forms of torture and coercion over the course of several days.
He was told to implicate his boss, the former Speaker, and was given a prepared statement to sign indicating as much. He refused and was later handed back to the police after several days at the NSA headquarters, and he was subsequently charged with arson.
Andrew Lawson and Albert Weah
Andrew Lawson and Albert Weah were arrested by the anti-Robbery Unit of the Liberian National Police on January 4, 2025, and transferred to the National Security Agency headquarters. For eight days following their arrest, both men reported that they were tortured and 1 forced to sign statements.
Albert Weah protested that he was at Central Prison—under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice—and thus was not involved in the burning of the Capitol. He had been involved in a protest the day before and was arrested near the University of Liberia. Andrew Lawson reported that he refused to sign a prepared statement that falsely implicated former Speaker Koffa. Both men reported that they were forced to drink urine, subjected to physical beatings, and otherwise mentally tortured.
Finally, Lawson reported that NSA personnel apologized to him and offered him $2,000 USD for his pain and suffering if he would sign the statement; he again refused. Both men were later released onto a public street near Tubman Blvd. Andrew Lawson has reportedly fled the country and has been interviewed in a foreign jurisdiction as a victim of torture in connection with reported human rights violations.
John Nyanti
John Nyanti is a Liberian citizen who was lured by family members under an agreement to testify in the Capitol arson case. According to Nyanti, he arrived in Monrovia on June 6, 2025, was picked up by the Liberian National Police, and taken to a luxury hotel near Monrovia called Lifestyle Luxury Hotel. He spent eight days there, during which time, according to him, he entertained a host of police personnel and government officials—including Marc Amblard, Police 106, Police 103, one ambassador, and other officials.
The offer ranged from an initial $50,000 USD to as much as $200,000 USD to implicate former Speaker Koffa and his colleagues. Various family members who claimed to have been part of the negotiations have confirmed Nyanti’s story publicly. Nyanti eventually decided that he could not lie by giving false testimony. He was charged and brought before court on June 18, 2025, after spending 11 days in police custody.
(The statutory maximum for holding a criminal suspect is 48 hours.) Holding John Nyanti for over 11 days was a clear violation of his constitutional rights. Baccus Karpeh, Patrick Hallie, and Gabriel Fansieh Baccus Karpeh, Patrick Hallie, and Gabriel Fansieh were arrested on June 4, 2025, for arson at the Capitol.
The charges were similar to those brought against the lawmakers and other private citizens. They were held for more than five days and summarily released without comment after refusing to implicate others in a crime. Apparently, the only “crime” alleged was merely living in District Number 16 and being affiliated with Hon. Dixon Seboe.
Christian Koffa
Christian Koffa was also arrested on the same writ as Baccus Karpeh and the others. Although the others were released, the whereabouts of Christian Koffa are unknown. His family has reported that he has been kidnapped. The police have yet to make him available to his lawyer, and we have been informed that he is being held at another hotel location, where he is being induced to provide false testimony.
THE LAW
Section 12.40 of the Penal Code makes it a crime for anyone to tamper with a witness by offering bribes or other forms of inducement to get a witness to change his testimony. Section 12.41 makes it a crime to tamper with information, hinder an investigation, or attempt to deceive. The facts as alleged by the persons named herein create a presumption that must be investigated, lest we risk tainting our entire judicial system and undermining our democracy.
DISPARATE TREATMENT
We are also compelled to raise concerns regarding discriminatory enforcement. All five lawmakers were charged under the same writ with identical offenses; yet, the treatment meted out to them varied based on perceived political affiliation: four opposition lawmakers were detained at the Central Police Station under oppressive conditions, while the lone lawmaker affiliated with the Rescue Alliance was released on personal recognizance.
This unequal treatment raises serious questions about political bias within the Liberia National Police. Furthermore, Article 21(i) of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia provides that: > “All accused persons shall be bailable upon their personal recognizance or by sufficient sureties, depending on the gravity of the crime and the probability of the accused appearing for trial, except for capital offenses or offenses punishable by life imprisonment.”
Arson, while a serious offense, is not a capital offense and therefore does not preclude bail or release on recognizance. All of the accused lawmakers should have been afforded equal treatment under this constitutional guarantee.
The arbitrary denial of this right to selected individuals on apparent political grounds not only violates the Constitution but also undermines the principle of impartial justice. From the onset of the investigation, it appears that the police have focused on one group of people while ignoring evidence pointing to others. For example, who removed the chairs from the joint chambers?
Who cut the electrical wires to the Speaker’s office? How is it possible that five persons were allowed to enter a building, set it on fire, and exit when the building was guarded by the Liberian National Police?
Who was the lawmaker at the Capitol building at about 9:00 pm on the night before the Capitol burned? Was an electrical fault or another non incendiary cause considered? Why did the Police IG state, “We know it was not an electrical fire because the electricity was still on”? This statement is patently false. Because the police and the Ministry of Justice cannot investigate themselves, we believe that the appointment of a special prosecutor—with a letter patent authorizing the investigation and prosecution of criminal conduct, witness tampering, and the mishandling of evidence—will best serve the interests of justice.
The accused are innocent until proven guilty, and the evidence must 3 lead where it goes. Creating or tampering with evidence or with the investigation is a path from our immediate past that must not be allowed to resurface. We urge the President to appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate these grave allegations at this critical juncture. It is not only the rights of Liberian citizens under the Constitution that are at stake, but the Constitution itself. Given the 23rd Day of June, 2025.
SIGNED: Atty. Janga A. Kowo – National Chairman, Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) Cllr. Lafayette O. Gould – National Chairman, Alternative National Congress (ANC) Mr. James Yougie – National Chairman, Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) Mr. Prince G. Mehn – National Chairman, Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE).
