ADNews-Monrovia: The battle to remove the first 55th National Legislative Speaker, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa has ended as his former competitor Montserrado District 11 Representative Richard Nagbe Koon emerged as a new Speaker of the House.
Koon was elected unopposed by 50 legislators who affixed their signatures on the resolution to remove Koffa on Thursday, November 21, 2024, in the joint Chamber at the Capitol Building in Moravia.
The Capitol Building has been politically unstable since the Majority of the Representatives lost a vote of confidence in the former Speaker, Koffa making him lose relevance for about a month as he became unable to secure a quorum to conduct legislative functions.
Even though he tested the law, remained adamant about quitting but was finally removed as the majority bloc secured the require votes during their Thursday, November 21st settings.
The battle to remove Koffa started when a group of Lawmakers in their majority accused him of tempering the budget which resulted in the illegal removal of millions from other agencies added to his budget as Deputy Speaker during the 54 legislature.
According to them, Koffa, as Deputy Speaker, received far more than the budgeted amount for his office. In 2022, the Legislature approved $1.5 million for Fonati as Deputy Speaker, but Koffa reportedly collected $5.6 million by the end of that fiscal year.
Similarly, in 2023, $1.1 million was approved by the national Legislature, yet Koffa allegedly obtained $4.1 million for himself.
Over the two fiscal years, the Deputy Speaker’s office was allotted $2.6 million, but the total received amounted to $9.7 million—an excess of over $7 million he used which was not allotted to him.
The lawmakers are called on the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to conduct an impartial investigation into the financial transactions during Koffa’s tenure, claiming the discrepancies are a violation of the “Budget Transfer Act of 2008”
They argue that such practices undermine the credibility of the House of Representatives in its efforts to combat corruption.
In addition to financial misconduct, the lawmakers accuse Koffa of multiple conflicts of interest.
They allege that he continues to serve as a lead consultant and lawyer for various government agencies, concessions, and private companies, including the Liberia Petroleum and Refining Corporation, Liberia Maritime Authority, National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, and others—entities that fall under the House’s oversight.
These roles, they claim, breach the House’s conflict of interest rules.
The House’s Rule 45.1 requires members to withdraw from matters in which they or their close relatives have an interest, while Rule 45.2 prohibits members from engaging in occupations incompatible with their responsibilities. The lawmakers argue that Koffa’s dual roles violate these rules and tarnish the prestige of the House.
The majority of lawmakers who signed the resolution also accuse Koffa of manipulating Liberia’s representation in the ECOWAS Parliament. They claim that on February 7, 2024, Koffa submitted a list of representatives to the 6th Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament without conducting the required election, misleading the regional body.
The lawmakers alleged that Koffa overspent his office’s budget by millions, engaging in suspicious financial transactions and violating Liberia’s financial management laws.
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