The Speaker of Liberia’s House of Representatives, Jonathan Fonati Koffa, has denied any involvement in a massive fire that engulfed parts of the Capitol building in Monrovia.
The blaze, which broke out on Wednesday morning, occurred just a day after a tense protest over plans to remove Koffa as speaker. While no one was inside the building during the fire, the incident has prompted a police investigation, with authorities offering a $5,000 reward for information.
Koffa, along with Representative Frank Saah Foko and two others, was brought in for questioning. The Speaker told reporters he spent nine hours at the police station but emphasized that his visit was voluntary and not the result of a summons.
Police chief Gregory Coleman said Koffa needed to clarify a Facebook post he made during the protests.
However, Koffa dismissed any connection between himself and the fire, stating, “If it was arson, that would have been a horrible thing. I have never been, and would never be, associated with such violence.”
Koffa suggested the fire might have been accidental, citing previous warnings from a contractor about the deteriorating state of the damaged section of the building. He called for a “neutral, international investigation” to uncover the cause of the fire.
The incident comes amid a deepening power struggle in Liberia’s House of Representatives. A faction of lawmakers claims to have ousted Koffa as speaker, while another group argues the move was unconstitutional. A Supreme Court ruling has failed to resolve the dispute.
Tensions were already high before the fire, with several demonstrators, including an aide to former President George Weah, arrested during the protest against Koffa’s removal.
Thick black smoke billowing over Monrovia has now added a dramatic backdrop to the ongoing political crisis.
