Following a massive fire in the legislature of the West African country, police have questioned the embattled speaker of Liberia’s House of Representatives and three others.
On Wednesday morning, residents of Monrovia, the capital, awoke to the sight of flames and dense black smoke coming from the Capitol building.
The whole legislative assembly’s combined chambers were destroyed by the fire, but nobody was inside at the time.
Gregory Colman, the head of police in Liberia, announced that four people, including Speaker Jonathan Fonati Kofa and Representative Frank Saah Foko, had been hauled in for interrogation.
A day after a heated protest over intentions to remove Koffa from his speaker role, the fire broke out.
At Tuesday’s protest, a number of protesters were arrested, including a former president George Weah’s aide Sekou Kalasco Damaro.
A well-known member of the House of Representatives, Representative Foko, is accused of posting a video to Facebook in which he states: “If they want us to burn the chambers, we will burn it.”
Coleman, the police chief, stated: “The joint Chambers was set on fire a day after Representative Foko threatened to do so. He must therefore make his statement more clear.
Koffa also needs to clarify a Facebook post he wrote during the demonstrations, Coleman added.
Koffa Tuesday shared a post on his page featuring the word “ALAMO.” This phrase refers to the 1836 conflict in Texas, USA, between Mexicans and Texans over the state’s independence, during which several properties were destroyed.
Coleman’s remarks have not received a public response from either Foko or Koffa.
A prize of $5,000 has been given by the government for more information regarding the fire.
The event has disappointed President Joseph Boakai, who has directed the security authorities to look into it.
President Boakai responded angrily
In response to the fire incident, President Boakai labeled it an act of hooliganism and called for a thorough investigation. Although he did not directly accuse anyone, he emphasized that no one should be involved in the destruction of the country’s infrastructure.
Liberia’s House of Representatives has been beset by a power struggle, in which a faction of lawmakers claims to have removed and replaced Speaker Koffa.
Another group has resisted the action, calling it unconstitutional.
A Supreme Court ruling has failed to solve the internal dispute.
