Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie of Criminal Court “A” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia has denied state attorney’s motion to drop one of the jurors from the ongoing case involving former Speaker J. Fonati Koffa and several other co-defendants. The defendants stand trial for their alleged involvement in the burning of the Capitol Building.
Judge Willie on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, rejected the state’s petition following arguments by both parties on the Bill of Information. “This Court has always stated that it will do everything possible to ensure that this trial is free and fair from all religious, political, or whatever background other than the law; having stated that, the Bill of Information as hereby filed by the prosecution to have the juror rejected from the panel is hereby denied and the juror will remain thereon for proper standing. AND IT IS HEREBY SO ORDERED,” Judge Willie ruled.
According to Judge Willie, it was prudent to inquire from the juror who is the subject of the controversy to testify regarding the accusations as to whether the photo is hers and, if it so, on what occasion it was taken. However, in response to the question, the juror stated that her photo was not on any of the sheets presented by the prosecution. Judge Willie stated that the photos did not, or the person who presented them, did not show any proof that the photos are those of the juror in question.
“First of all, the photo as pointed to by the prosecution with a pen does not reflect the photo that is on the jury management form. Secondly, this photo could be derived in such a manner and form because the world is now dominantly controlled by AI usage in the creation of social media content, and as the caption of this photo reads, it says ‘Women of Hope for CDC with two others,’ and it has there “Paulita and Abu all the wayyyy..”. The assumption there is that the caption of this paper could be done by an expert in graphic design,” he said.
On Tuesday, November 25, 2025, upon the selection of the empaneled jury, the Prosecution filed a Bill of Information to the court that it has in its possession photos of juror J30-9819, which has several women in it believed to be CDCians, were on a campaign program held in favor of Abu Kamara, one of the defendants in the proceedings. The prosecution further stated that to keep the juror in the trial will be tantamount to keeping a juror in the empanel jury who is prone to conflict of interest.
To further substantiate their claims, the prosecution provided to the court two sheets containing several females who are allegedly part of the Abu Kamara campaign team, and among whom it was also alleged that Juror J30-9819 was present In resistance to that application, Koffa’s legal team argued that the sheets containing photos as presented are flying sheets that could be dotted and the court should have it thrown out.
Cllr. M. Wilkins Wright, along with others, stated that the sheets containing the photos were not testified to by any witness to authenticate that the photos contained are attributed to juror J30-9819. The lawyers further stated that there is no source from which the court should take the photos.
When the prosecution was asked about the source of the photos, they indicated that they were obtained from a social media post, but defense lawyers argued that, assuming the photo is that of J30- 9819, it is the constitutional right of the Juror to be a member of a political party, which rights cannot be taken away from her.
