Liberia: Renegade Lawmakers Sign Petition to Remove Speaker Amid Reports of Bribery - FrontPageAfrica

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Monrovia – A group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives has adopted a resolution to remove Speaker J. Fonati Koffa from office. In the petition, the lawmakers accused Speaker Koffa of acting as legal counsel for major concessionaires in Liberia, a move they claim violates the country’s constitution.

By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, gerald.koinyeneh@frontpageafricaonline.com

The lawmakers involved come from a range of political parties, including the ruling Unity Party and the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), of which Speaker Koffa is a member.

The petition was read by Representative Nyan Flomo (District #2, Nimba County) in the presence of several dissenting lawmakers at the grounds of the Capitol Building, outside the chamber, which had earlier been shut down by a group of pro-Koffa lawmakers led by Rep. Marvin Cole.

FrontPage Africa (FPA) previously reported that a group of lawmakers, allegedly led by Deputy Speaker Thomas Fallah, Senator Prince Moye, and Vice President Jeremiah Koon, was behind the effort to remove Speaker Koffa. The push to oust him is reportedly linked to his insistence on auditing the House of Representatives. According to sources, each lawmaker who signed the resolution allegedly received at least US$25,000.

Reports suggest that the payments were made immediately after the lawmakers signed the resolution, with several lawmakers having reportedly signed on to the plan.

Deputy Speaker Fallah, however, has denied any involvement in the scheme to unseat Speaker Koffa. He maintained that his relationship with the Speaker remains amicable and attributed the rising tensions to misinformation being spread by certain members of the CDC opposition.

“I support Speaker Koffa and the CDC,” Fallah asserted, calling on aggrieved members of the party to resolve their differences peacefully. “I advise my colleagues within the CDC who are upset to address this issue without resorting to violence.”

Meanwhile, Speaker Koffa is currently in Rome as part of a delegation led by President Joseph Boakai. Reports indicate that he is expected to return later today. He is scheduled to address the nation via a live radio broadcast from Italy this evening.

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