Liberia President Boakai Calls for Swift Investigation

Joseph Boakai at the Capitol Building after the fire incident

19 December 2024

The New Dawn (Monrovia)

By Emmanuel Wise Jipoh

Monrovia — In the Capitol Building fire, President Joseph Boakai is calling for a speedy investigation into Wednesday's fire incident at the Capitol, vowing that anyone caught will be dealt with accordingly.

In the aftermath of Wednesday's fire at the Capitol, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai says the fire incident will be expeditiously investigated, and those found will be dealt with accordingly.

President Boakai, accompanied by Vice President Jeremiah Koung, toured the damaged facility and expressed sorrow while consoling members of the Legislature.

"This is complete banditry and gangsterism, and we're not going to accept this, so we are asking the Minister of Justice, the Security apparatus, and our friends to investigate this to the letter. People who are culprits, we will deal with", the President vows.

He describes the act as hooliganism and warns, "No stone will be left unturned in accordance with the law."

President Boakai: "This is unfortunate, and we are not going to settle for this. This is not a place for hooligans but for responsible people who are there to serve their country, so if you have a problem, you have the rule of law; you have every way the people will listen to you, so we are not going to accept."

Liberians woke up early Wednesday morning to saddening news that fire had gutted the Joint Chamber of the Legislature, less than 24 hours after violent clashes between Police and protesters demanding adherence to the rule of law amid an ongoing leadership crisis at the House of Representatives.

Few months ago, a group of lawmakers calling themselves Majority Bloc gathered to remove embattled Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa has sparked controversy here, with minority Representatives resisting said action.

Meanwhile, immediately after the fire incident, reports link embattled Speaker Koffa, who has been defiant that he remains the legitimate Speaker to the incident, as being the mastermind of the fire outbreak on Capitol Hill.

But Speaker Koffa, in a Facebook post, writes, "Hon. Fonati Koffa has nothing to do with him; has no access to such social account."

However, Montserrado County District#9 Representative Saah Foko, a staunch supporter of Speaker Koffa and the minority bloc, has been invited by the Liberia National Police (LNP) for questioning in regard to a live interview video cast, in which he was heard threatening in July to burn down the Joint Chamber of Capitol Building.

Read the original article on New Dawn.