By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.cpm
Police in Monrovia have arrested, investigated, charged and sent to court defendant Stephen M. Broh in connection to the December 18,2024 Capitol Building alleged arson attack.
The fire at the Capitol Building came at the height of a leadership rift over the Speakership with the House of Representative split right down the middle, with “minority bloc” and “majority bloc” emerging.
According to police charge sheet, on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, fire gutted the central portion of the Capitol Building, particularly in the area known as the “Joint Chambers”, including the floor above and the Dome. Properties within the affected portions of the Capitol Building got completely burnt to ashes.
Suspect Stephen M. Broh arrest in connection with alleged arson at the Capitol Building
Initially, over the Liberia National Police arrested 65 people persons who were found within the immediate vicinity of the Capitol Building.
The police charge sheet also said:
“While the building was in flame and being consumed by fire, the Liberia National Police (LNP), Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS), Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, Liberia Petroleum Refinery Corporation (LPRC, Fire Department), including Sethi Brothers Fire crew responded to quench the fire. “
In an effort to determine the ORIGIN/SOURCE and cause of the fire, the LNP officers and other Law Enforcement Agencies immediately cordoned the compound of the Capitol Building and its surroundings and thereafter, brought in for questioning and identification at Central Headquarters, over sixty-five (65) persons who were found within the immediate vicinity of the Capitol Building.
INVESTIGATION
In view of the aforesaid, Law Enforcement Agencies (LNP, NSA and LNFS) initiated/commenced an investigation to determine facts and circumstances that resulted into the Wednesday, December 18, 2024 fire incident which completely burnt the entire Joint Chambers, the 4th floor and the Dome as well as properties that were in the named affected arears, located in the structure housing the Representative wing at the Capitol Building
The charge sheet explained that as the result of the investigation conducted, it was discovered that prior to Wednesday, December 18, 2024, defendant Stephen Broh security guard working with the Legislative Security Service (LSS) conspired with defendant Thomas Isaac Etheridge AKA Tom who is reminded at the Monrovia Central Prison awaiting trial, Amos Koffa, an employee of the Capitol Building and John Nyanti, an officer of the Correction Bureau, Ministry of Justice wherein they proceeded to the Compound of the Capitol Building on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 between 5:30am to 6:00am, in a white JAC double cabin vehicle marked HOR 98 driven by defendant Thomas Isaac Etheridge, allas Tom.
Narrating further, the police charge sheet revealed that Defendant Stephen Broh and his cohorts as named herein entered the Capitol Building compound during the morning hours as stated (Wednesday, December 18, 2024) with gasoline which they used to set the Joint Chambers, the 4th floor and the Dome on fire, thereby destroying properties therein.
The investigation discovered that after the burning of the Joint Chambers, the 4th floor and the Dome, defendant Stephen Broh and his accomplices (John Nyanti, Amos Koffa, including others to be identified) with the exception of defendant Thomas Isaac Etheridge absconded from the grounds of the Capitol Building and went into hiding.
However, based upon vigorous search by the LNP, NSA and other Law Enforcement Agencies, defendant Stephen Broh was arrested, informed of his Constitutional rights. He was represented by Atty: Martin J. Corlon, owner of GSM number 0886591305 in whose presence he narrated that he is a resident of Y.E.D Community, Virginia, Brewerville, Montserrado County.
Defendant Stephen Broh narrated that prior to him working at the Capitol Building with the security guard service, he was involved in selling used clothes at Point Four (4) Junction, Bushrod Island but left the used clothes selling after he was recommended during the end of 2023 to Honorable J. Fonati Koffa by Mr. Jarson to be identified to afford him an opportunity to work for the LSS.
According to defendant Stephen Broh, he has been assigned at the representative wing at the Capitol Building where there is rotation of officers on shifts.
Defendant Stephen Broh, lamented that he usually comes to work in a white double cabin pick-up, bearing license plate HOR 98, assigned to, and driven by Thomas Isaac Etheridge alias Tom.
Defendant Stephen Broh revealed that he always meets Thomas Isaac Etheridge at Iron gate before boarding the vehicle for work but when he missed said vehicle, he rides with the Human Resource officer (HR) at the House of Representative.
In furtherance of his statement, defendant Stephen Broh said that on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 about 5:00a/m, Thomas Isaac Etheridge called him on the phone and picked him up from Iron Gate and he got in the front seat of the vehicle (white double cabin vehicle) bearing license plate HOR 98, while he and Thomas Isaac Etheridge were enroute to town, Thomas Isaac Etheridge stopped the vehicle at Point Four Junction, Bushrod Island and Amos Koffa got onboard, sat in the back seat of the vehicle as Thomas Isaac Etheridge drove towards the direction of town.
Defendant Stephen Broh also narrated that Thomas Isaac Etheridge did stop the vehicle at the intersection of Ashman and Johnson Streets, opposite Access Bank where a fair complexion individual who he later identified as John Nyanti got onboard the vehicle holding an army color bag in his hand. Не disclosed that when John Nyanti sat in the vehicle, Amos Koffa asked John Nyanti whether he got the items, but he (Stephen Broh) turned to Thomas Isaac Etheridge and asked “what items is Amos Koffa referring to”?
Defendant Stephen Broh informed investigation that Amos Koffa responded to his question (what items is Amos Koffa referring to? Stephen Broh disclosed that Amos Koffa said “it is for our operations”.
Defendant Stephen Broh again averred that he saw the items which Amos Koffa referred to as for their operation to be gasoline that John Nyanti brought onboard the vehicle and as such; he again turned to Thomas Isaac Etheridge and stated “the oldman (J. Fonati Koffa) will not support this, he is a legal minded person”.
Defendant Stephen Broh further revealed that he couldn’t do any other thing because he was already in the vehicle with them and Thomas Isaac Etheridge continues to drive”.
In furtherance of his statement, Stephen Broh added that Thomas Isaac Etheridge drove passed Crown Hill and Capitol Bye-pass up to Capitol Hill where he used the Capitol Building gate facing the University of Liberia (UL) main entry and exit gate to enter the premises of the Capitol Building but he (Stephen Broh) stopped/disembarked to the security booth at said entry to take over from his colleague who served duty from the night hours of Tuesday, December 17, 2024 up to the morning hours of Wednesday, December 18, 2024 but claimed not to know the colleague name.
He continued that Thomas Isaac Etheridge, Amos Koffa and John Nyanti drove towards the Speaker parking lot with the gasoline in the vehicle.
According to defendant Stephen Broh, after some minutes of stay in the yard of the Capitol Building, one of his colleagues ran to the security booth where he was stationed to inform him that the Joint Chambers was on fire but he (Stephen Broh) did not tell his colleague.
Defendant Stephen Broh also narrated that while the Joint Chambers was on fire, the police arrived and brought he and other individuals to LNP Headquarters, later he and other security guards were released the same day and scheduled to report when needed.
Defendant Stephen Broh lamented that while he was home the next day (Dec 19, 2024) about the morning hours Thomas Isaac Etheridge called him for them to meet at Iron gate, when they met, he claimed Thomas Isaac Etheridge asked him if he was coming to town and he responded no.
He concluded that as per his statement, he can confront Thomas Isaac Etheridge, Amos Koffa and John Nyanti about the gasoline they took in the army color bag at the Capitol Building during the early morning of December 18 2024, before the fire started within the Joint Chambers.
INVESTIIGATION FINDINGS
After thorough investigation of the facts and circumstances reference defendant Stephen Broh criminal culpability/complicity into ARSON attack on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, the below were established as to wit;
- Though defendant Stephen Broh has been working with the Legislative Security Service (LSS) at Capitol Building and was assigned on the first shift on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, he had not been reporting to work regularly after the incident between the Majority and Minority blocs which started in June 2024.
- Though defendant Stephen Broh and his accomplices (Thomas Isaac Etheridge, Amos Koffa and John Nyanti) riding in the JAC white double cabin vehicle bearing license plate number HOR 98 entered the premises of the Capitol Building on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 approximately between 5:30am to 6:00am, but he did not enter said compound to perform his regular security function (protection of properties), instead he and his cohorts (John Nyanti, Thomas Isaac Etheridge, Amos Koffa and Kivi Bah alias Kaba, including others to be identified had gone to purposely burn down the Joint Chambers and the 4th floor in-order to deny legislative functions at said location.
- That defendant Stephen Broh and his co-conspirators spilled gasoline in the Joint Chambers and the 4th floor, used matches’ sticks to ignite the fire that caused the burning of said Joint Chambers, 4th floor and the Dome.
- That the gasoline used accelerated the burning of the affected areas/parts of the building housing the Representative wing on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
- That prior to the December 18 2024 arson attack, there was deliberate fire attack on December 10, 2024 which John Nyanti and Kivi Bah alas Kabah and others to be identified participated.
Meanwhile, the investigation determined that defendant Stephen Broh participated in the December 18, 2024 ARSON attack.
- That defendant Stephen Broh and his cohorts’ conspiratorial action which was manifested on December 10 & 18, 2024, was premeditated/deliberate.
- That due to the volume of the fire, caused intense heat to bend the steel pillows within the Joint Chambers and above on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, including the defacing of all of the steels on the Dome.
- That, the damaged to the property as the result of the ARSON IS estimated over Eight Million Six Hundred Seventy-Two Thousand Six Hundred Fifty-Three Point Sixty cents (8,672,653.60US
Enclosed are pictorial displaying the Capitol Building housing Joint Chambers, 4th floor and the Dome on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 prior to the ARSON attacks;
In view of the above, the investigation herewith charged defendant Stephen Broh with the commission of the crimes “Arson, Release of Destructive Forces, Reckless Burning or Exploding, Criminal Mischief, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Criminal Facilitation, Criminal Conspiracy and Criminal Solicitation” in violation of chapters 15, 14 and 10, sections 15.1, 15. 4, 14.23, 10.2, 10.3 and 10.4 of the revised Penal law of the Republic of Liberia, pending trial by court of competent jurisdiction.